Ash Ketchum: Master Detective
by MatchesMassa
Summary: This thrilling story brings us a Jaded Detective Ash Ketchum, haunted by memories of the past. When things go wrong in the Pokeworld, Ash is thrust into a mysterious web of crushed dreams and deciet. Can our hero fight his demons and bring to justice the evil monster that is terrorizing the citizens of Saffron city? Read and find out. Slight pokeshipping. BOOK ONE STATUS: COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Hey guys! I've been kicking around the idea of a mystery story for a long time now, and I thought, Why not Pokemon? So I've got this little idea mapped out that with hopefully branch out into something bigger. Please enjoy~

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon at all.

"A Study In Red"

Chapter one

I wanted to be the very best. Like no one ever was.

I wasn't. In fact, I was a pretty sub-par trainer. Sure, I defeated plenty of gyms, some on pure dumb luck, and some with pretty decent skill. But no matter what, I never won a championship. At least, none that mattered. Sure I'd win this dinky little local jazz, but when it came to the big leagues, I always missed by an inch. Always to some _rival_. That wasn't the worst of it though.

The final straw was when they let friggin' legendaries compete. mMy party struggled to defeat a _Darkrai_ and then had their efforts demolished when the bastard sent out a LATIOS. After that, I knew there must have been some higher power, or _something,_ that didn't want me to ever win or become a Pokemon Master. Pokemon Master...ha! What a silly dream. What does it even mean? I've spent countless nights wondering that.

I leaned back in my chair and sipped my scotch. My tongue's so numb to it now, I can barely taste it's bitterness.

My name is Ash Ketchum. Ex-Pokemon trainer. At age 26, I am now a Detective living in Goldenrod City. The city life is very hustle and bustle, so it really puts a fire under my ass. Much like training used to. I managed to get pretty high up in the ranks of Goldenrod Police Department, so now I work in my own private office where I ponder to myself until I get my next case. I do a lot of pondering these days.

"Pika?" I heard from behind me. I turned around in my swivel chair, and I saw my buddy Pikachu looking up at me with wanting eyes. I chuckled and picked him up. I held him comfortably in my lap as I rubbed the fur on his back with my index and middle finger. Use to be Pikachu would just climb up my body and jump on my head. He's a little more tired these days. With all the training I put him through, it's no wonder he's gotten lazier in his old age. He's still in peak condition though, I make sure he comes with me every morning during my early jog.

"Been pretty quiet around here, huh pal?" I asked my little yellow sidekick. Pikachu purred as he nuzzled into my thigh.

"Ring Ring Ring! Phone Call! Phone Call!" echoed throughout my office and it nearly made me fall over in surprise.

"Maybe I spoke too soon." I remarked as I reached for my phone. I answered it. "Goldenrod Police Department, Ash Ketchum speaking, how can I help you?" I spoke my script and waited for the caller to reply. They didn't. I could hear faint breathing though, so I knew someone was there. "Hello?" I waited still. I heard mutterings, as if they were having trouble speaking. "I'm hanging up now."

"Ash..." I heard finally. It was a woman's voice. Timid and weak. Not my type. I liked the fiery ones. "It's been a long time."

"Do I know you ma'am?" I leaned back in my chair with a smirk. Propping my feet up on my desk, I silently tried to connect her voice to any familiar faces. The voice was familiar in a way, but yet, still it wasn't.

"It's me, Misty."

The world stopped. Time and Space stayed at a standstill and all of the noise in the world was silenced. I sat up.

"Misty." I replied from behind a lump in my throat.

"You do remember me...don't you?" Her voice died out a bit at the end. Surely this couldn't be the same hot-tempered rose of my youth? She sounded as if she'd lost all the intensity she once possessed. People change I suppose. Especially after six years.

"Of course I do, Mist. You're right, it has been a long time. How are you?"

"I've been better." I started to hear the faint sound of sobbing in the background.

"Who's crying?" I asked, my confusion growing by the second.

"Daisy...we've had a bit of tragedy in the family I'm afraid." She sounded as if she were holding back tears herself.

"What happened?" I took out my notepad. I always took notes when I got calls. It felt weird doing it with Misty, but habits are hard to break.

"Violet and Lily were found dead two nights ago." She managed to say through sniffles. I was shocked. The Sensational Sisters? I was a fan, like most men aged 14-30.

"My God...Murdered?" I asked.

"They were found stuffed in a dumpster, we don't think it was natural causes." There was the sarcastic girl I knew. I almost chuckled, But that would have been inappropriate.

"Gosh Mist, I'm real sorry for your loss. I could come down if you'd like?" I offered. Honestly though, I'd hoped she'd say no. It'd be hard to face her again. Plus, I don't do well at funerals.

"Actually, that's why I called." Damn! "The funeral is this weekend, and we'd really like if you could make it."

"I'll clear my schedule." I said without hesitation. Why? I have no clue. Maybe I was getting nutty over a voice I hadn't heard in awhile. "I gotta ask though, Mist. How come I haven't heard about this in the papers? Your sisters were pretty famous."

"A police officer found the bodies before any citizen did, luckily, so we managed to keep it away from the press. Naturally though everyone here in Cerulean knows, so it'll hit the papers soon enough." I heard angry yelling on the other side of the phone and Daisy cursing. "Shhh, Daisy! Anyways, please come Ash. Brock and everyone are coming too, even Delia. So we'd...I'd like you to be there as well." There it was. The soft voice of an angel that could make me do anything.

"I'll take the Magnet Train down to Saffron Thursday and rent a motel room in Cerulean." I said, followed by the sound of a cracking whip. "But Mist, I gotta ask, has the Cerulean Police Department picked up any leads yet on the killer?"

"No leads." She was starting to cry. "Please just come. We can talk then."

"Okay. I will."

"Goodbye Ash." She hung up.

"The Sensational Sisters are dead?!" Commissioner Jenny yelled from behind her office door.

"I don't think they heard you in Pewter, ma'am, maybe try a little louder." I responded dryly.

"Sorry, I assume they're keeping it hush-hush if even I haven't heard about it yet." She leaned back in her chair, crossing those long legs of hers. As she sipped the iced latte she had me get for her, I could tell she was in deep thought.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't let anyone else get wind of this. You see, this was told to me in confidence; I would just like to request my vacation time take effect on Thursday, if it's no trouble of course." Jenny still sipped her latte as she considered this.

"I suppose you have been working hard lately. Maybe getting out of the city would be good for you. You seem ragged." The blue-haired woman jibed me, as she leaned forward with a hand on her cheek. "Have you been drinking?"

"Sipping." I corrected.

"Well lay off of it or I'll have you canned, even if you are the sharpest detec we have on these streets." She half scolded, half complimented me. She did that a lot. Jenny was always like that, ever since we first met in the academy. She progressed quite a bit higher up the ladder than I did, seeing as how she was part of the famous Officer Jenny bloodline. She had a genetic knack for police work, and she did it well. "Got it Ashy?" She waved her eyelashes at me, and I drew back.

"Got it, boss." Her eyebrows slumped and her hand fell from her cheek.

"You can call me Jenny, you know. We've known each other for years." True, she was like a sister to me.

"Sorry, sometimes I just can't turn my professionalism off." I shrugged. She nodded and sighed.

"Ash," She started. She didn't speak for a moment, "I'm worried about you." I cocked a brow.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Don't 'what' me, Ketchum. I know you like the back of my glove," she said as she raised her gloved hand, "You've been moody, anti-social with the rest of the department—"

"I've been _working_." I interrupted.

"You've been looking at the wall and _drinking_. I swear I heard muted _jazz_ coming from you're office the other day. What are you, the _noir_ detective now?" I rolled my eyes. "What happened to: 'Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!'? That's actually how you introduced yourself to me when we first met." I shrugged.

"I was 19 the last time I said that. C'mon Jen, people grow up." Pikachu hopped up on the desk, and Jenny started to pet him. Pikachu smiled and nuzzled into her hand.

"I suppose. I won't press on it, but just try to lay off the sauce a bit? You can have your vacation time."

"Thank you, ma'am, I'll see you next Thursday," I bowed slightly and whistled, "C'mon Pikachu," Pikachu jumped off of the desk and walked by my heels as we left the office.

Wednesday night: The night before I have to go back to Kanto. After I finished packing, I sat on my bed and flipped through my old albums. Pictures of a happier time that seemed to have happened a millennia ago.

"Can't believe we're going back, eh, Pikachu?" I said softly as Pikachu snored next to me. "We'll see Oak, and Mom. Haven't seen them since Christmas. Brock and Tracey, maybe Gary too." Flipping through the pictures, my nostalgia filter was clogging up my vision. Why did I ever leave home? If I was going to settle down with a _real_ job, why not stick to say, Saffron City? It was closer to home, and all my friends.

I then flipped to a page towards the middle, the last page with pictures in it. It was Brock, Dawn and I. I was in the middle with a sullen face, Brock and Dawn hugging me and mugging for the camera. I remember when this was taken. The Lily of the Valley Conference, in Sinnoh. Memories came flooding back. Of Tobias, that cheater. Standing atop his 1st place podium, holding a trophy that shouldn't belong to him.

After throwing the photo album out the window, I calmly prepared a scotch on the rocks.

Thursday morning, 6:00 AM. I crawled out of bed and prepared my breakfast: three egg-whites and two pieces of toast with a large cup of homebrewed coffee; hazelnut, black. I hopped in the shower for about 15 minutes and then brushed my teeth. I go to my room and put on a blue dress shirt and lazy tan slacks. I wrapped a black belt around my waist and applied a zigg-zagged beige tie to my neck.

I then remembered I was on vacation and promptly disrobed. I changed into a pair of faded blue jeans and a black undershirt. I re-applied my belt and put my brown coat on. I awoke Pikachu, grabbed my suitcase and was swiftly out the door.

I caught the 7:30 to Saffron just on time. I boarded the train and took a window seat towards the back of the cart. Pikachu hopped in my lap.

"Pikapika, chuu." He said.

"I hate trains too, buddy. So boring." Pikachu looked up at me. He looked sad.

"What's wrong pal?" I asked, concerned. I had long been able to communicate with my Pokemon. Our bond was that deep.

"Pikachu Pika pika." He spoke quickly. I just looked at him for a moment. He nuzzled my cheek.

"Oh, you're worried about me too, huh pal?" I pet him on the head when he nodded in approval. "Don't worry Pikachu. I'm fine. It'll be good to be home for once." Pikachu nuzzled against my chest. He seemed to sigh. Just then, the intercom buzzed, and I was awarded the sound of an overly bubbly female voice announcing:

"Goldenrod Magnet Train now departing for Saffron City!" Bing Bong. I leaned back in my chair and held Pikachu like a baby. I closed my eyes, and fell into a slumber.

I awoke stiffly, my back and neck both aching to Hell. Pikachu licked my face until my eyes opened and starting talking at me.

"I'm up, I'm up!" I said, waving him away. "Are we in Saffron?" Pikachu nodded in the negative, but then started rubbing his stomach. "Ohhh, you're hungry, huh pal?" He smiled and nodded 'yes'. My stomach then growled. "Me too, actually. Maybe I'll order something."

I ordered a rather unsatisfying sandwich from the food cart, and got a bottle of ketchup for Pikachu. On my last bite, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID: "Comm. Jenny".

"Commissioner Jenny," I greeted, "I do believe I'm on vacation." I picked my teeth with the toothpick from my sandwich and waited for Jenny to respond.

"Sorry, Ash," She said with a chuckle, "Just calling to tell you a few from our department are on their way to Saffron as well. Seems there's going to be a press release with Misty Waterflower as Key Note speaker, a friend of yours if I remember correctly?"

"Yes, she and I are old friends." I lazily stroked Pikachu's back as he slurped down that ketchup. "Now that I mention it, there are quite a few plainclothes' on this train. I think I see one of you Jenny's in a red dress. Not as pretty as you though, commissioner." She started to laugh.

"Alllllright. Just wanted to make sure you didn't think we were spying on you. How's the train? You must be almost there by now."

"Another hour at least. The train's alright, I suppose. Cleaner than most. I've always hated the train though."

"Alri-wel—hope—there safel—Ash? Hello?" Stupid interference. "eh-crash—burn-Ash?" Hm? I thought I had heard something strange there.

"Jenny, sorry, got some static, what did you say?" The interference was still there but it seems

"I-said—hope you get there safe—can you here me?" She repeated.

"A bit. Thanks for the good wishes Jenny, I'll call you when I'm at the hotel."

"Okay, goodbye Ash." As I hung up my phone, I heard the intercom buzz again. It was a different voice this time, someone must have taken over for the over enthusiastic girl from before. It was replaced by a gruff, yet dumb voice.

"Attention passengers, this is Stephan, your driver. There's a thunderstorm brewin' above the tunnels, so our wi-fi might be a bit fuzzy. We apologize for this incongenience." Did he just say 'incongenience'? What an idiot, though his voice was very familiar. I pondered on this for a moment, but shrugged it off. I decided to go back to sleep until we got to Saffron.

My back hurt too much. I couldn't sleep. So, I resigned to lie back and scratch a happy Pikachu's fur.

END OF CHAPTER 1

SO! I hope you guy's liked chapter one! So many questions, too many answers. I'll try to get chapter two done soon, btu I'd LOVE feedback! Review, flame, fav, whatever! Thanks for reading :')


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_"You'll do great!," Said a female voice coming from nowhere. I hope so. What if I fail?_

_"You won't fail. You're the best," A different, male voice calls out._

_I'm in some sort of space. I can't tell what makes up this space, because everything looks blurry and faint. A dark blue hue saturates the area. I float in the ether._

_"If you fail, then what was your dream for?" I won't lose. I'm the best, I respond without realizing._

_"If you're the best, then you will win." This voice sounds like my own. As if I were talking to myself, and then I responded, but separately._

_If I'm the best I win._

_If I win I'm the best._

_If I don't win_

I woke up with a start.

"Pika!" Pikachu snapped as I awoke him by surprise. I rubbed my head and blinked a few times.

"Ugh," I groaned, "Are we there yet?" I looked to the right out the window, and I see a few hills parting, showing a city in the distance, drenched in dark hues of purple.

The buildings leapt up from the ground but stopped short of anything magnificient. That was, except for the Silph Co. building. That monstrosity stood dead center in the city and dominated from any view. The train pulled into the station and screeched to a halt.

Pikachu and I exited the train and were greeted by swarms of people and Pokemon, pushing past eachother. The hustle and bustle was much like Goldenrod, though Kanto wasn't as ethnically mixed as Johto. Also, the Pokemon were basic, as in within the confines of the first 150 discovered. No Mews or Dragonites obviously, but you get my drift. The place was packed nonetheless.

The first thing I wanted to do was check out Misty's press conference. I assumed it was to be held at the Silph Co. building, seeing as it was the main business building in the city. I would ask around about that. I then hear my stomach rumble.

"Pika Pikachu." Pikachu said, I nodded.

"I'm could go for some pizza too, buddy." We reached the stairs of the station and made for the exit. Just then, I was stopped by the sight of a familiar face.

"Brock?" I called out. Brock was standing by the exit, sipping a coffee and leaning against the wall. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses, a red dress shirt with a black coat slung over his shoulder.

"Long time no see," He started out, after a mighty glug of his beverage. "Just on time, too." We shook hands and smiled at each other. It had been almost a year since I saw Brock. We still kept in touch online though.

"You were waiting for me?" I asked with a cocked brow.

"Misty told me you'd be coming back to Kanto for a while, thought you'd like to see a familiar face." We exited the station together.

Brock had become a successful Pokemon Doctor over the years. His clothes showed it. Brock was never a flashy kid back in the day, but ever since he realized money _could_ cause attraction in women, he's used that particular skill to his advantage. Not saying that he was an _asshole_, he was just still the womanizing dude he's always been. Just turned up to eleven. We walked outside and I spotted a red Bentley continental GT. I whistled.

"Damn, Brocko, that's some shiny wheels." I held my hands in my coat pockets as I inspected the front and back. The license plates said "BRK100" and the rims were black and thick. The headlights were LED's that shone blue luminescent and the spoiler in the back completed its drag race look. "This is some Tokyo drift shit." I said as we got into the beauty.

"Cost me a good 180 thousand, tricking it out was another project." As we pulled out of the parking lot and out into the street, Brock had started telling me about his work and how _rewarding_ it is. In more ways than one it seemed. "Sure is a shame about the Sensational sisters," he began, finally ending the topic on his work, "They were so…"

"Young?" I asked. They weren't much older than me after all.

"And sexy, dude. Lilly was my favorite." I rolled my eyes. Same old Brock.

"I liked Lilly too." I responded. He chuckled back, but his face sunk quickly after.

"It must be hard on Misty, losing two out of three sisters." I nodded.

"Makes you think, right?" Brock stayed quiet. " 'Bout life, you know? How short it is." He nodded and kept his eyes on the road.

"Pain and death are apart of life, to reject them is to reject life itself." Brock quoted. Ever the romantic.

"What is that, Shakespere or somethin'?" I asked. I didn't have that much of a grasp on poetry, never was the artsy type.

"Ellis Havelock."

"Ah." I nodded. "Well, that quote is stupid. What good is pain?" I asked, crossing my arms, "Life would be way better without it." Brock was quiet for a minute and things grew awkward.

"Do you still think about back in the day?" He asked.

"What?"

"You know what." He responded with a smirk.

"I don't know what." I shot back.

"You left Kanto out of the blue and then a year later we hear you've registered for the Police Academy in Goldenrod. You weren't even a blip on the radar before that." Brock sounded like he'd meant to get this out for a while now. "And then you make no effort to contact us for years after."

"I do _too_ make efforts to contact you. Just works busy, you know how it is _doc_." Brock sighed and removed his sunglasses. He placed them in the collar of his shirt.

"Misty says you haven't spoken to her in _six_ _years_. That's a little fucked up." He had me there, I didn't have much of an excuse for that.

"You know things were different after Johto. That was way before I left Kanto." I finally spoke.

"Then you move _to_ Johto a few years later, coincidentally." Brock said as we made a turn on Nutley Road.

"There aren't any coincidences. Johto was the last place we travelled that felt like home." I said as I stroked Pikachu's fur. "After _you _stopped travelling with me, everything was so _foreign_. Nobody could replace you guys. Everything was too _different_." This time Brock stayed quiet. "So I stay in Johto. It reminds me of Kanto, but without any distractions."

"Distractions?" He asked, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," I responded, "Just forget it. I hear Misty is actually giving a speech or something today. Press release and all that."

"Yeah, it's at the Silph Co. building." He said, "That's actually where I'm headed now. She's coming with us after words and we're driving back to the hotel in Cerulean."

"Oh, really?" I asked. That's kind of awkward. I didn't realize I'd be seeing her _so_ soon.

"She's already settled with everything for you room. She's very influential these days. Enjoy you're free mini-bar."

"You don't say? Wow." I was impressed. Who knew Misty's name would have pull. I always knew she'd do well, but it seems like she's gotten to be quite the celebrity.

"Yeah, so don't bitch out, she really wants to see you. So does everyone else." This was starting to feel less like the loss of loved ones and more like a welcome back party for myself. I felt awkward.

We pulled into the parking lot of Silph Co. and exited the car. Brock gave the keys to the valet and told him not to scratch it.

The Silph Co. building was surprisingly bland on the inside. The floors were a standard checkerboard pattern, complimented by drab grey walls and a white ceiling. The entrance was decorated with a nice little fountain though, with a a little statue of Articuno spouting water from its beak, wings outstretched. The fountain was right in between two flights of brown stairs that led to the many upper levels of the skyscraper. We walked up to the main help desk.

"We're here for the Waterflower conference. Brock Harrison and Ash Ketchum." The man fiddled with his keyboard and an audible ding came from his computer.

"Ah, yes." He handed us two red lanyards and we put them around our necks. "The conference room is up the stairs on the third floor, room 304. Starts in about 15 minutes."

"Thanks." Brock said. We then made our way up the stairs.

The conference room was the epitome of '_blah'. _The walls and ceiling were boring hues of brown and yellow. Rows and columns of chairs lined the room, headed by a wooden stage with a podium and small table on it. Other than that, there was a window and a table with finger sandwiches. This is another reason I'm glad I never became commissioner. You have to go to these places _all the time_. We found our seats and Pikachu hopped in my lap once again. I stroked his fur and absentmindedly made conversation while we waited for everyone else to take their seats.

"So what's Misty doing these days? Still a gym leader?" Brock groaned, obviously disgusted that I knew nothing of my former best friend.

"She's in business now." Brock said bluntly. I sputtered.

"_Misty_? In business? Yeah right. What kind of business? Perfume?" I chortled. Brock shook his head.

"After getting bored of being a gym leader, she applied for a position in the Elite Four when it opened up." My eyes widened. What? The Elite Four? No way. "After a couple of years of that, she realized that the real money was in the desk jobs that run the Elite Four. She's now high up in League Management." Brock finished and reviewed my facial expression. "A lot can happen in six years, Ash."

"I guess _so_." When everybody took their seats, people started to appear on the stage and take seats at the little table next to the podium.

There were two women and a man. One of the women I recognized as Daisy Waterflower, Misty's older sister and the only surviving member of the Sensational Sisters. She was wearing a formal red dress with her hair done up in a fancy bun. She had her long legs crossed, and at the end of them were red stilettos. The other woman I recognized as Misty's friend Sakura. She was wearing more formal attire: grey business jacket with a white blouse under it, and a matching skirt that ran down to her knees. Her magenta hair had grown even longer, and she had it in a French braid. The man I didn't recognize. He was wearing a blue suit and a white shirt under it with matching navy blue tie. He had slicked back dark brown hair, and a young face that contrasted the serious older faces of the other men in the room.

Then, without much buildup, out came Misty from the left side of the room. The room was abuzz with chatter and camera flashes from every direction.

She looked the same, but different. Her hair wasn't in that childish ponytail anymore, instead, her strawberry blonde hair had been curled and hung down to her shoulder blades. I haven't seen her hair that long since we were kids and she filled in for her Gym's Sensational Sister's show as a mermaid. She wore a light purple business coat and skirt like Sakura's. But she did look ravishing in it. She walked up to the podium and tapped it lightly, causing the speakers to squeal for a split second.

"Ahem," she began, clearing her throat. It was gentle and dainty, but commanded the attention of the room, "I'd like to thank you all for coming. There are a few things I'd like to talk about today. As you may have heard, the rumors are true. Lily and Violet of the Sensational Sisters were murdered sometime during the weekend and found in a dumpster behind the Magnet Station on Sunday night." The crowd erupted with questions and flashes. "I'll answer questions soon enough." I sat in my seat, rapt in attention. She really commanded a room.

"She looks great." I said quietly to Brock. "Who'd have thought Misty could rock business attire." I quieted when she continued speaking.

"First thing is first." She said as she looked at a stack of papers. She was visibly shaking, though her voice showed no signs of distress and she remained collected. "The Cerulean Gym is closed indefinitely."

"Woah, what?" I said as she laid that bomb on the room at the beginning of the conference. I wasn't the only one surprised. Everyone in the room exploded with surprise. This was going to be a very loud conference.

The Waterflower continued to speak, and the room once again fell to her voice.

END OF CHAPTER TWO

WOO. So. Chapter two is el complete. I'd like to thank you for reading and following my story! Please continue reading and reviewing, I'd love to know what parts of the story y'all like and what parts y'all don't. More coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

The room ruptured with riotous rabble. Reporters from every corner of Kanto were waving their hands, trying to get Misty's attention. She called for silence, but was ignored. The public simply could not understand her decision to close the Cerulean Gym.

"Ms. Waterflower, do you have the authority to close the gym?" One reporter from the Saffron Gazette asked, "After all, you left the position of leader years ago," Misty remained silent and looked towards her older sister sitting at the table next to her podium. Daisy nodded, as if giving her silent encouragement.

"It was a mutual decision that my sister and I _both_ agreed on," Misty began, eyebrows wrinkled with seriousness and a twinge of regret, "She is in no emotional condition to be battling, and I am much too busy with the League."

"Why not hire a replacement?" Asked the editor of the Johto Journal, raising his notepad in the air.

"There will be _no_ replacements." She said coldly. She started to grow angry, as evidenced by the vein growing in her forehead. "Now, if you people would let me continue…" she looked towards Daisy again. Daisy nodded. "The Cerulean Gym is but one of the issues that I mean to address in this conference today. The important thing here is the severity of the situation. My sisters," she paused at pointed to Daisy, "Our sisters—were killed, no, _murdered_ and I will not rest until we find the _rotten piece of trash_ responsible. The Saffron City police department has had no luck, but they're also not resting until they find something. I request that every officer that attended today keep a vigilant eye out for whoever did this heinous crime, in your own homes especially. We believe the killer or killers traveled by train, as the body was found outside the train station, so this monster could be anywhere." She paused to collect herself. The room was now so quiet that you could hear the feedback coming from the speakers. Misty's voice however, grew angrier and louder with each word. The other officers, some from my own department, were wrapped in attention. She continued: "Finally, the compensation for finding the killer slash killers…" She paused again. She looked around the room at the wide eyes and agape mouths that littered her view. "One Million. In cash." Camera flashes filled the room, and I could nearly feel the monstrosity that those last words caused. With that, she walked off stage, not even sitting at the table with her sister, friend or the man, who was now getting up running off stage as well. Daisy Waterflower stood up and walked to the podium. She tapped the microphone and spoke into it.

"We have been told by like, Officer Jenny: If you like, see this guy or girl, I don't know, then you should totally call your local police department, 'cuz he could be dangerous." She stepped away from the microphone, but then remembered something and walked towards it again. "Or she. Thank you." She then bowed and ran off from the camera flashes and noise to stage left. Sakura sat at the table alone and blinked at the audience, whom all seemed focused on her. She sat there awkwardly.

"I'm just here for emotional support," She said timidly. She got up slowly and walked out. Brock and I looked at each other and shared a mutual look of 'What the fuck just happened'. Pikachu lie asleep on my lap, not fazed by any of this.

***  
I leaned on the side of Brock's car and puffed on a Marb Red. I didn't much like smoking, but it was kind of nice after a stressful situation comes rolling down. I wasn't much stressed because of the whole press conference. For all I knew, Misty was a billionare who had the kind of tenacity to just hand out a million dollars. Also, I didn't much care about Cerulean gym being closed. I don't care much for gyms in general anymore. What I was utterly dreading was actually seeing Misty again. It had been six whole years. The last time I saw her…I was 19; Just about to enter the academy. It feels like forever already.

In case you were wondering, yes. The last time I was with her, shit hit the proverbial fan. I had just moved my apartment in Goldenrod, and I'd had a couple friends come over for a little party: Brock, Misty, May, Max, Cilan and Dawn. My closest friends, though some more close than others. Cilan and Brock had bonded over cooking, and made the best dinner I'd ever had in my entire life. Dawn and Max were talking on the sofa, laughing and drunk. May and Misty were mad at each other for wearing the same colored shoes. I was enjoying myself. All was well.  
I walked outside to get some fresh air. I had also started smoking by then. Though back then I used to smoke Newports. I lit one up and sat on the stairs of my apartment. I'd twist my hat backwards, back when I wore one, and I just leaned back and looked at the stairs. What little stars Goldenrod had. If I really looked hard, I could see about twenty or so stars twinkling upon the navy sheet that cover the sky. The streets were unusually quiet that night. Not more than four or five taxis drove by while I had been out there, and I hadn't seen one person walking. It was around 1 am after all. I heard a creak behind me, and I realized it was the door opening.

"Since when do you smoke, Mr. Policeman?" spoke the silvery voice of a young girl, age 19. I turned to face her. It was Misty. She walked over and plopped down next to me. "Plop." She said. I could see she was a little tipsy. Not wrecked. Just a little tipsy. "Whatcha' doin'?" She asked childishly. I chuckled.

"Just chillin'. Thought I'd get a little air." I took a drag off my cigarette and then exhaled. Misty reached over to my hand and took it from me. She started taking drags off of it as well. I laughed again. "How 'bout you Mist, how are you liking the apartment?"

"I like ittttt." She was as she held the cigarette with two hands. "I can't believe _you_ actually got your own place." I cocked a brow and grinned.

"What do you mean _you_?" I said, pretending to be offended.

"It's just so _grown-up_. I thought you'd be ten forever." I smiled as she jibbed me.

"Whatever, man!" I rang. "'Gimme that." I said as I took my cigarette back. She grew mock-furious.

"Haaaay, that's mine!" She hollered as she reached for my outstretched arm. I held it opposite my body so she had to stretch over to reach it. As she leaned closer to me, our faces passed eachother. As she held herself against me, I felt less struggle for the cigarette and more caressing. Her arms wrapped around me and she hugged me for a while. I correct myself from before, I think she might have been a little drunk. So was I, as a matter of fact. That would explain how we were suddenly making out.  
Without a word, without any preparation or thought, without even asking, we had started passionately kissing each other. That had never happened before. We pulled away from each other and just looked into the other's eyes. Years of knowing each other and being best friends seemed to crash down onto us. She had literally been my sister since I was ten and we had just made out.

"I kind of liked that." I said, breaking the tension.

"Me too, actually." She smiled shyly. She was blushing furious. "Ugh, I'm so drunk." I laughed. She laughed with me and we fell into each other.

"I know, me too," I said softly. I flicked my butt onto the street as we sat there. My heart had felt as if it were about to burst out of my chest. I had honestly loved this girl since I was at least 12. I just never said anything because we were best friends. I didn't want to ruin that. She hadn't even said anything about what we just did. All these thoughts ran through my mind as I looked silently at the stars.

"What're you thinking about?" She asked as she poked my cheek.

"'Lotsa stuff…" I responded lowly.

"Are you stressing again?" She asked.

"What? I don't stress." I turned my head to look at her with a confused face.

"You've obviously been stressed." She said matter-of-factly, "Why else would you disappear and then reappear with an announcement like this." I stayed quiet. "In fact… it all started after the Lilly of the Valley Conference."

"Dude, what are you talking about?" I asked, getting a bit defensive.

"You know that match was unfair. It wasn't even your fault that you lost." She said, penetrating me with words I didn't want to hear.

"Could we not talk about this?" I asked simply.

"No, you need to talk about it!" She slurred. I grew colder inside. "You quit being a trainer and become a police man all of a sudden! Hell might freeze over next."

"I did it because I wanted to." I said sharply. "Being a trainer is…stupid. Why compete to see who's stronger anyways? It's just sport."

"I can't believe _Ash Ketchum Pokemon Trainer from Pallet Town_ is actually saying these words." She said with faux-surprise.

"I don't even say that anymore!" I yelled in anger. "And I don't go by it either. It's just _Ash_-Sometimes from Pallet Town."

"You're _ashamed_?" She asked flatly. I glared.

"Of course I am." She looked shocked. "I travelled around the damn world, and worked my ass off, only to be humiliated time and again. No matter how hard I trained, it never mattered. There was always someone stronger, or someone who'd beat me at the last minute, completely from dumb luck. I don't even remember who won the Indigo Plateau."

"So you gave up?" She asked angrily. "You just quit? That's not the Ash I knew."

"Well the Ash you knew is gone. I'm an adult now, and it's time I acted like one."

"Well, maybe I don't like that." She spat.

"Well, maybe fuck you." I spat back. She looked even more shocked than before.

"Wow." She said in a brittle tone. "Well, then maybe don't kiss me again."

"Oh please, you're drunk, you wouldn't have done that if you were sober." I crossed my arms and turned away.

"You're such an idiot!" She screamed. "I can't believe how stupid you are! You're still just a spoiled rotten brat!"

"Nuh-uh! You're the brat!" I hissed back, "You always have been!" I immediately regretted my words but I didn't want to lose the argument.

The rest of the conversation was vague but I remembered a lot of yelling and cursing and then I remember her having Brock take her on the Magnet train home. That was the last time we talked. I tried contacting her that first year, but she always ignored my calls. I just wanted to apologize. But I never did. After that, I pretty much gave up on trying to get back in touch with her, and I rose up the ranks of the Police Department, getting busier and busier every year.

I flicked my cigarette and got off the side of Brock's car. It was then that I looked back and saw Brock walking with two people: Daisy and Misty. I had just seen Misty on stage, but in person, it was even more breathtaking that before. She looked amazing. She had curved out in all the right places and she looked truly grown-up without that silly pony-tail.

"Hello Ash. It is just Ash, now? Correct?" She said sarcastically. I felt uneasy.

"_Detecive_, actually. It's…good to see you again, considering the circumstances." She actually smiled, which surprised me.

"It's good to see you too." She said as she hugged me suddenly and started to cry on my shoulder.

END OF CHAPTER 3

WOO! Another painfully short chapter, I apologize for the length. I do hope you're enjoying the story though, and I greatly appreciate any and all feedback. I'll try to make the chapters a little longer too.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Woo, I can't believe we're already at chapter four! I can't express how happy I am that people seem to be taking an interest in my story, as I've just hit over **200 views**! I'd like to thank **XxKittyCaitxX** for her sweet review, and to **yamashishi**: thanks for the awesome feedback! And Ash's other Pokemon are in the PC, he'll be utilizing them later in the story! And finally **Delibird**, thanks for your praise! Thanks for all the follows and favorites! Please enjoy ~

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Once we were all in the car, I in the front with Brock and the girls in the back, the atmosphere had grown uneasy. Nobody spoke for the first half mile. Then it started to rain.

"Oh great," Said a voice from the back, "Like, it's raining."

"It fits," Misty replied to Daisy, "On a day like this." Her voice was quiet and subdued. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Daisy was pulling Misty into a hug. They were the only family each other had left. I'd never met their parents, nor have I seen them. I've never really asked Misty about them, but I have a gut feeling they died. "Thanks for picking us up Brock. Neil was busy so he couldn't do it."

"It was no problem Misty. Didn't Sakura need a ride too?" Brock mused. I felt as though I wasn't adding much to the conversation.

"She actually works in the Silph Co. building, so she said she would just have a co-worker give her a ride." She shifted her weight in her seat a bit and patted the leather material. "Love the new car by the way."

"_New_ car?" I asked with surprise. Brock chuckled and adjusted his sunglasses that he loved to drive with.

"I'll take you down to the garage sometime, Ash." Brock responded with a grin. I can't believe how many rich friends I had. It seemed as though I was the poorest one in the car, though I don't normally consider myself poor. I make an honest and decent living, so I can't complain. Behind me, Misty had been unbuttoning her purple suit top, revealing a white blouse underneath. She wore it nicely. I looked at her from the side mirror of the car, and when I believed she'd made eye contact with me, I looked away. I could almost feel her smirk.

"So, _Ash,_" Misty said in a suddenly honeyed voice, "It has been _so_ long, how have you been? You certainly changed in appearance since the last time I saw you." I cocked a brow and tilted my head slightly to the left.

"How so?" I asked confusedly.

"Well, for one," She reached over my seat and rubbed my head roughly, tussling my messy black hair into an even bigger mess, "You're not wearing any headgear!" I flailed in my seat from shock and ducked down in my seat to avoid her hands.

"Gah! Stahp it!" I yelped. I then composed myself. "And I don't really fancy hats all that much anymore. Just not my thing, you know?"

"Oh, _boo_. I thought Detectives wore Deerling Stalker hats." Misty said in a fake pout.

"You're thinking of Sherlock Holmes, Mist." I chortled, half smiling. "Fun fact: He actually never wore it in any of the stories." I said holding up a finger.

"Like, Ash, I had no idea you became a Detective." Daisy said with a tone of awe. "That's like, _so_ cool. Do you solve mysteries?" Brock and Misty chuckled, I merely rolled my eyes.

"In a way, I do actually," I began, "I work for the Criminal Investigations department. When something happens; theft, murder, kidnapping, narcotics, domestic violence; all that, I'm one of the first on the scene to interview witnesses, collect evidence from the crime scene and find any… _clues_ if you will." Daisy and Misty were looking at me as if they'd seen a ghost.

"_Wow_," Daisy said hushed, "So you're like one of those _Cop Drama_ guys!" I blushed and scratched the back of my head. "I always thought you were kinda dumb!" I frowned.

"But you pick up on things," Misty said finally, "And you can read a person's face, tell if they're lying or not."

"Exactly," I said, glad Misty picked up on it. "I also do lots and _lots_ of desk work. That part sucks a lot."

"Oh, I know about desk-work Ash," Misty said with exasperation, obviously understanding the term _desk-work_ all too well, "I'm sure we could trade awful stories sometime."

"What is it you do by the way, Misty?" I asked with genuine curiosity. "Brock told me you work for the Pokemon League or something."

"I manage the Elite Four. Marketing, finances, Public relations, all of it." Misty slumped in her seat. "It's exhausting. But it pays the bills." I'd assume so if you'd be willing to give away a million dollars, I thought. I began to feel myself loosen up during this light conversation.

"So, I was wondering," I began, "Brock told me you already set everything up with my hotel?" Misty nodded and smiled a bit. Her little nose crinkled up a bit and she brushed her long hair out of her peach colored face.

"I got you a _suite_," She said emphasizing the last word, "At the _Golden Nine-Tails_. You owe me big time." She teased.

"Gosh, Mist, you didn't have to go to all the trouble." I suddenly started to feel very uncomfortable again. I hate being just _given_ things, and I absolutely hate owing people favors.

"It's alright, I don't mind." She said with a wave of her hand. "I was serious about you owing me though Ash. I have a favor I wanted to ask." I perked up and raised a brow in curiosity. Daisy and Brock were both silent, seeming to be as confused as I was.

"Later," She said, taking out a pair of sunglasses from her purse and putting them over her tired eyes. "I'm too drained right now." She leaned her head back and adjusted her seat to an incline. Daisy nodded and followed suit. I looked at Brock, who merely shrugged.

Saffron to Cerulean was a simply ride on Route 5, so it took about 30 minutes until we reached our destination. I remembered when we used to travel by foot, and I started to ache. When we drove by a sign that said "Welcome to Cerulean City," and under it in little cursive letter's, quoted: "_Cerulean is the color of aqua mysteries". _I had no idea what that meant, but it sounds nice. Misty was asleep and Daisy was looking out the window with a faraway expression.

"It looks like we're here, guys." Brock said as we entered Cerulean territory. Daisy nudged Misty with her elbow until she woke up. Misty had a little bit of drool coming from the side of her lip. As she groggily awoke, she wiped her mouth with her wrist.

"I thought we'd never get back," Misty groaned. "Let's get to the hotel already."

We drove around the city until we reached the Golden Nine-Tails, a new fancy hotel they'd just built right near the gym. I suppose it was to house the tourists that came to see the Sensational Sister's year round. In fact, I do believe the trio _owned _the hotel. That must have been how Misty had some pull there. We pulled into the parking lot and all got out. When we walked up to the building I let out a whistle.

"Damn, this is fancy," I said as I examined the marble pillars with bronze ends. In the middle of the walkway, there was a giant statue depicting a Ninetails standing godlike on a pillar, with its tails each pointing in a different direction. The pillar was surrounded by a small pool of water. Could it get any classier? I'm sure they tried. I had taken my briefcase out of Brock's trunk and was now holding it in my hand. Pikachu was resting calmly in Misty's arms. Brock and Daisy were lagging a bit behind, chatting about something or other, so Misty and I walked to the help desk. The woman behind the desk promptly stood upon seeing Misty.

"Ms. Waterflower! Good evening!" She spoke very quickly.

"Good morning Carol," She said with an embarrassed chuckle. "You don't have to treat me like a drill sergeant." The orange-haired woman named Carol bowed quickly. She must have been no more than 19. Poor thing.

"Sorry ma'am!" She apologized nervously. "Um, is this…?" Carol looked towards me. I blinked.

"Yes, this is _Detective Ash Ketchum of the Goldenrod City Police Department_." Misty said, emphasizing each word in my title. I believe I let out a nervous blush.

"Heh, yeah. That's me." I said awkwardly. "Just Ash is fine though."

"May I see some ID, um, if you don't mind?" Carol asked timidly. Misty glared at her, and she looked like she was about to cry. "It-it's the law! Sorry!" I shrugged.

"It's no problem." I took my wallet out of my back pocket and flashed my badge. I actually enjoy doing that, it makes me feel cool. Carol looked it over for a moment.

"Thank you sir! Here is your room key," Carol handed me a large golden key, which on the hilt a carving of a Vulpix had been made. "Your room is on the top Ninth floor. Room 905." I bowed my head to her with a smile.

"Thank you very much, Carol." I said as nicely as I could. Carol and giggled and blushed a little , and as I walked away I swear I could see Misty glaring at Carol again.

"Wow," I said to myself, "A _suite_. This trip might actually be kind of awesome." I looked at the key and played with the little blue and white ribbon at the end. This place was fucking _swanky_. Misty caught up with me and placed my Pikachu upon my head.

"He wanted you," She said quietly. She strode next to me slowly as we walked back towards the entrance, where I'd last seen Brock and Daisy. Misty had been looking at me ever since we met up at the car.

"What?" I said looking back at her. She laughed.

"Nothing," She said back to me. "You just look…" She thought about it for a moment. "You look very _different_."

"You said that already."

"I know, but more than your hair. You seem _bigger_." I cocked a brow. I was wearing what basically amounted to a duster jacket.

"It's the coat, I'm sure." I said as I waved the coat flaps. Under the coat I was actually quite lean. The training program you have to go through to become an officer is pretty physically demanding itself. Plus, I eat pretty healthy and I exercise regularly. Not trying to brag, of course. I stopped thinking about my own physique for a moment and noticed Misty wasn't looking at me anymore.

"You've just _matured_ so much it seems." Misty had crossed her arms. "After so long." I laughed.

"I could say the same of you. Like, for real you're a billionaire business woman?" I jibbed her and we both laughed. "I'd have thought you'd be a Water Pokémon Master, like you always said." She looked down at the ground and grew sullen. "Uh, Mist?"

"I was a trainer for a while. A leader too. I kept climbing up the ranks, until I basically _was_ a Master." She stopped walking, as did I. She stood in the sunlight shining out of the window behind her. Her shadow stretched all the way down to the other side of the room, and her strawberry blonde hair seemed to glow. "Eventually, the bills started to pile up…" She turned to face me, "And the meager living of a trainer wasn't enough. So I went to college for business."

"Do you enjoy the work?" I asked, probably knowing the answer.

"Ugh, _fuck_ no." She said bluntly. Check for me. "The hours are long, the clients are demanding, everything about what I do is soulless and empty." She said this with a defeated tone as she leaned her head back. "But I'm basically _Batman_ rich, so it evens out." I nodded.

"Gave up your dream for cash?" I asked quietly.

"Better than giving up entirely," She spat back. I furrowed my brow but didn't respond. "Besides, it was _time I grew up_. Isn't that what you did?"

"That's right." I responded with a nod.

At this precise moment, Brock and Daisy happened to walk towards us. Brock had removed his sunglasses and placed them in his shirt collar.

"There you guys are," Brock said, "Everything all set?"

"Yep," I said, nodding my head, "I'm just gonna go bring my bag upstairs." All of a sudden, a Machop wearing a golden bellhop uniform had gran past me, grabbing my briefcase in the process. I was stunned. "What the?!" Carol perked up from the help desk.

"That's just Mikey, my Machop! He'll bring your bags up to your room, no problem!" She said with a happy wave. When Carol spoke, I swore I saw Brock's hair catch on fire. I think his eyes might have even turned into hearts, if that were possible. He ran off to go flirt with her.

"Why…_hello ma'am._" He said as he took her hand and sat halfway on the desk. "How would you like to go to dinner tonight? I could have a limo pick you up?" Carol blushed and laughed nervously.

"Y-you're a little too old for me, sir," Brock fell off the desk with tears in his eyes. I shook my head and laughed. Same old Brock. Misty even dragged him by the ear, for old time's sake.

We got off of the elevator, after waiting to go up eight long floors. "So, here we are, floor Nine of the Golden Nine-tails." Said Brock, being Mr. Exposition today.

"My room is the fifth one down," I recalled as we walked down the hallway. We reached a wooden door that had three golden numbers on the door. "905." I read. I put the key in its hole, and it fit and turned perfectly. When I opened the door.

I nearly

Shit

My

Pants.

"Are you serious." Was all I could mutter.

**END OF CHAPTER FOUR**

TOBECONTINUED-

_That concludes today's episode, but stay tuned to find out: Who killed the Sensational sisters, and will they be brought to justice? And just who is this mystery man _Neil_ from the conference? _

_AND JUST HOW AWESOME DO YOU THINK ASH'S SUITE IS GOING TO BE? FIND OUT ON THE NEXT EPISODE, SAME BAT-TIME, SAME BAT-CHANNEL._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: Woo! This story has hit over 300 views! I'm enjoying the feedback I've been getting and it is helping to fuel my drive to write more. Please keep reviewing and telling me what you like and dislike! I answer all reviews and I also really appreciate the support. This next chapter contains Death and some family related trauma, so if you're sensitive to those things just… just keep reading, this is one of the meatiest chapters yet! Enjoy~ _

**Chapter Five **

I stared in awe at my living quarters for the next week. They were _huge_. Carol, the quirky attendant, ran up behind us.

"The room comes with fully equipped kitchen and dining area, two bedrooms, laundry facilities, windows that open, and complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. Cable too." She stopped talking to catch her breath.

"Mini-bar?" I asked with a smile. Carol chuckled.

"A bit bigger than mini, actually."

"Amazing," I finally said.

"My thoughts exactly," replied Brock to my left. "This is a _crib_."

"Pika_chu!" _Pikachu nodded in the affirmative.

We walked inside the room, taking everything in. Misty was smirking and looking smug as ever. She loved that I was loving it.

"Thank you Carol," Misty said with a wave, "I believe we're all set." Carol perked up but nodded and bowed quickly.

"Just let me or Machop know if you need anything!" Carol said as she dashed off.

"CHOP!" the small Pokémon agreed and similarly dashed off.

We walked over to the large leather sofa. It was red, and popped against the blue carpet. There was a 45 inch flat screen television on the wall to our front and Brock switched it on.

"This room is crazy, Mist," I said, "I really appreciate it." Misty smiled and looked away.

"It was nothing," She said softly, "I still have a favor to ask though." I nodded. She slapped her knees and stood up. "Tomorrow!" She said suddenly. "It's getting quite late and I'm needed elsewhere. As for you, I'd say unpack and get some rest."

"You sure you can't stick around?" I asked, "I was going to order a pizza."

"Alas," She began dramatically. She seriously said alas, "I am much too busy for pizza." She was putting her coat back on, and fussing with her hair, "My sister needs me, and I believe my ride is just about here to pick me up." I nodded. Snooty much? She did look good in a two piece suit though. Now that I think about it…

"Uh, got it." I said, shaking my head of those thoughts, "Just call me tomorrow, I guess."

"I will," She said as she held out her hand to me. I looked at it.

"Good day madam," I said with a laugh as I took her hand and bowed. She scoffed cruelly and raised her hand to her mouth.

"My word, what a fool you are." She said in a faux English high class accent as she walked out the door. "You coming, Brock?" Brock, whom was currently lying on my sofa texting, did not look up.

"Nah, I got a room too," He said without even looking away from his phone. "I'm next door, so I'll just chill for a while. Seeya Misty."

"Jeez…seeya Brock." She walked towards the door and opened it, "Bye Ash." She said as she left.

The door closed behind her, and I felt my body succumb to gravity and nearly fall over. I composed myself and walked towards the kitchen.

"I'm about to check out this bigger-than-mini-bar." I said finally, collecting a laugh from Brock, behind his phone.

Night was still, besides the spinning. I held a mostly finished glass of gin on ice, with a wedge of lime. It was my third or fourth cup I suppose, so I did feel rather…uplifted. The taste of Bombayleef Gin was pleasant, and hit my tongue much better than whisky. Shot glasses littered the coffee table. Brock had drunk a liter of Captain Morgan's and was planted firmly on the ground. I had called in Machop to come in and carry Brock to his room.

"Thanks Machop," I said handing him a five dollar bill. Machop smiled.

"Chop Ma chop chop!" He said as he took the bill and shook my hand. He then proceeded to pick up Brock with super-human strength and ran off to the suite across the hall.

Soon after, I had decided it would be a good idea to call the Captain, inebriated as I was. I took out my Cell phone and typed 'Jenny'. I put the phone to my ears and listened to it ring three times. Finally, I heard a click.

"Ash," groaned the tired Police Chief, "It's 2 am."

"Mooorning!" I laughed.

"Oh, God, you're drunk."

"Am not." I burped. "Just tired and getting into my room finally."

"Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself." She said, "Were you just checking in?"

"Yes, I wanted you to know I was safe," I laughed. I heard her laugh as well

"Well thank you, I—" I heard her pause. "Hold on, Ash I have another call coming in. What is with these late night phone calls?" She sounded annoyed but I shrugged. When you're drunk, you don't care who you're bothering.

I heard a click and I waited. As I waited, I looked out the window of my room, that oversaw the city. Unlike Goldenrod, which had a glow you could see at night from a mile away, the lighting in Saffron City was much more subdued. You could even see stars in the dark, royal blue sky. As I stared into the navy abyss, I wondered in the back of my mind if Ho-Oh still flew over Kanto. It had been many years since the last time I saw it. Far too long, it felt like. I heard another beep.

"Ash, I'm going to have to call you back," She said with the utmost urgency. "You might want to lock your doors." I cocked a brow and spoke.

"Why?" Was all I could ask, "What's going on Commissioner?"

"Just lock your doors, and try to remember to watch the news in the morning. There's not much you can do now." With that, she hung up. Soon after that, I forgot that we spoke, and I tried drunk-dialing a few other people. None answered. I looked at the clock: 3:00 AM. God, I haven't done this since I was younger; I forgot how intoxicated a couple glasses of Gin and some shots of whisky could make a person. My head bumped and my vision swayed as I stumbled haphazardly to my bed, where I promptly fell and lost consciousness.

_Slowly you're dying_

_Inside you're crying_

_The Dark, Dooming, Death of Defeat Deafens your Dreams_

_So, enter the shuttle that will lead you out of this world_

_And be at peace_

These are the words that echoed through my mind as I slept, and they made me feel empty.

Friday Morning, 6:50 AM

I awoke to the sound of my cell-phone ringing. As I groggily opened my eyes, the haziness of my vision made me feel as though I were awakening into a dream. Not entirely asleep or awake, I sat up slowly, feeling the weight of my body resisting my motions. I reached out for my phone and answered it.

"Hello?" I said without any feeling whatsoever. The voice that spoke on the other end of the line seemed to be out of breath. "Uh, hi?" I responded.

"A-Ash, quick, turn on channel 5." It was Misty. Was she just getting off the treadmill or something? "Right now!" She yelled.

"Okay! Geez." I had forgotten the entirety of my conversation with Commissioner Jenny the night before, so luckily I had been told, or I would have missed the frenzy that apparently had everyone else in Kanto already in an uproar. I kept the phone against my ear, and picked up my television remote. I clicked the tv on. Turning it to channel 5, I see an anchor's desk, the anchor herself was holding back tears.

"—With grave news. Last night at approximately 2:30 AM, a single gunshot was heard by an elderly couple, who wish to remain anonymous. Here is the 911 call, recorded moments after:" The footage cut away from the anchor, and then replaced the screen with an image of a tape recorder, with subtitles placed over it.

911 Operator: Hello, 911 is this an emergency?

Man: Uh, yes, um…_I know Woman, hush!_

911 Operator: Sir?

Man: Yes, sorry, I think I just heard a gunshot, it sounded like it was coming from down the street.

911 Operator: Sir, can I get a location? Where are you?

Man: I live on Akron St. in Saffron City.

(An audible BANG was heard in the background of the man's phone)

Man: Oh God!

911 Operator: Sir? Sir! Are you alright?

Man: I'm, I'm (oh God) I'm okay. There was another gunshot just now, it sounded closer!

911 Operator: Police have been dispatched, please lock your doors and do not answer it for anyone that isn't law enforcement.

Man: Okay

The recording cuts off there, and we are given the image of a Male News anchor. Apparently, the woman had left the set.

"Several more reports were filed. The source or sources of the gunshots has not yet been discovered, but the results of them have: A young boy, no older than ten, and a young girl of the same age." I was shocked. My headache soon gave way to feelings of disbelief. Two photos appeared on screen. One was of a boy with black hair, and covering it was a black hat turned backwards. The middle of the hat had a large gold streak going down the middle. A couple locks of his long black hair stuck out from the middle. He wore a black and red hoodie sweatshirt. The boy kind of looked like me at that age. The second picture was a girl with her dark blue hair split into two ponytails on each side of her head. She was wearing an opened white jacket that revealed a red shirt underneath. They looked like new, promising trainers.

"They were found with bullet holes, each in the head. This is the second killing that's taken place in Saffron City in less than the span of a week, and citizens are panicked." I shook my head with disgust. "More on this, as the story develops." The camera then switched views and the anchor turned around, "Meanwhile, in Miltank country—" I shut off the television. I had forgotten about the phone in my hand.

"Ash? Ash?" I heard from the receiver.

"Hi, sorry Mist, I'm right here." I said, a bit more awake, "I can't believe this."

"I need you to come here, _right now_. It's time we talked about that favor." She sounded urgent and slightly exhausted herself. I assume she didn't get much sleep either.

"Alright, I'll be right over," I said, nearly hanging up. "Er…where are you, by the way?"

"At the gym in Cerulean with Daisy. Come quick." I heard a click. She hung up. I brewed a pot of coffee, changed, and then left the room.

Brock was still asleep, so I figured I'd just let him sleep in, rather than scare him awake with the news of what happened. When I got downstairs, it seemed as if the entire hotel was standing in the lobby, looking at the news on the television. Apparently, Vulpix News was going a bit further into the killings, revealing the names of the victims.

"Ethan and Kris Gold, brother and sister: Two Pokémon trainers who were viciously gunned down after making their way to Kanto from Johto." My God, they were just young trainers. So promising could have done anything with their lives. But then they were hopelessly ended _last night_ as we all lay asleep. "Apparently, they had just competed in the Johto League, and were on their way to filling their regional Pokedex. They were even going to battle the Kanto gym leaders." Such a waste of precious life, I thought. I tore myself away from the television, and walked out the door.

I had left Pikachu in my room to sleep. I left a note written in Pika-speak (give me the benefit of the doubt on this one), telling him I'd be home later, stuck to a bottle of ketchup. I decided that I'd need a Pokémon to fly me to Cerulean, as I did not feel like running through the grass, so I went to the local Center and booted up a PC. I hadn't scrolled through my box in a little while, so hopefully the one I was about to take out wouldn't be _too_ pissed at me. As I left the center holding the Pokeball, I felt a sort of emptiness in my stomach. I had felt it ever since I saw the news report, though it could've been the booze sitting in my belly. The idea that two young trainers were ruthlessly killed just made me feel horrible. I shake off the feeling however, and release the Pokémon I had brought. A red light shot from the ball to the ground.

"CHAAAAAAR!" Charizard roared, releasing a little flame from its mouth. The last time I used him was last Summer to fly myself to a conference in Orre.

"Hey, buddy," I said as I scratched a spot on his thigh. I knew he liked that. Charizard looked at me and flared his nostrils. "I know, I know. Sorry we haven't played in a while." Charizard looked away and I felt bad. I really ought to spend more time with my Pokémon, like I used to. "Listen, if you help me out now, then we can go out later for a free-roam through the skies. Sound good?" Charizard looked towards me slightly and smoke came out of his nose. He nodded. "Okay, we need to fly to Cerulean, we're gonna go see Misty. Okay?" I asked, gently petting the warm scales on his tail. He leaned forward, allowing me to climb on his large back, right in between his wings.

"ZAAAAAARD!" He yelled as he flapped his wings, gaining momentum with each thrust. As we slowly lifted off of the ground, I gripped his thick neck. I always hated flying, but it _was_ the quickest and easiest way to travel.

"To Cerulean!" I called out as we ascended into the clouds. "But not too fas—" I was interrupted as Charizard took off at Mach speed. We were a mostly orange blur in the blue sky.

When we reached Cerulean City, I had to practically beg Charizard to land. He sure did love to fly. I on the other hand, felt as if I were going to throw up. I made him aware of this, and not wanting puke on his back _again_, he descended towards the ground.

"Thanks Charizard," I slurred, "We'll be doing it very soon, don't worry." Charizard gave me a happy squeal and a thumbs up as I recalled him. "Return." With another flash of red light, the behemoth was gone. I sighed. I stood right outside of the Cerulean gym, still as spectacular as ever, I rang the buzzer next to the door.

"Misty?" I called through the speaker, "It's Ash."

I heard a ding.

"Come in," Daisy called through. "Misty's in the shower, so you can like, come wait by the pool area." I walked through the door and immediately smelled chlorine and salt water. The Chlorine was most definitely coming from the aforementioned pool area, and the salt water was coming from all the fish tanks that had lined the walls. I followed the scent of chlorine to the hallway on the left side of the main entrance floor. If it were any other day, I'd had fond nostalgic memories, but it was a somber day indeed. As I passed through the dark hallway, lit only by the swaying light of the tanks, I felt that empty pit in my stomach again. I then realized where it came from. I was starving, having skipped breakfast. I silently cursed myself as I walked into the large pool area. On the side were hundreds of empty seats, that were usually filled, waiting for the arrival of the Sensational Sisters, or a stunning Gym Battle. It was unsettling knowing that those seats would be empty for some time. I then heard a set of footprints coming from the hallway, approaching. I turned to see Daisy.

Her hair was pulled up into a lazy blonde bun, and she had been wearing noticeably no make-up. Underneath the layers of blush and foundation was a relatively normal face. She was still a great looking woman, with a full figure that I pined over as a child, and deep green eyes that almost rivaled the intensity of Misty's aquamarine. She nonetheless looked very tired.

"Like, hey Ash." She said in her usual valley girl tone. Why her and her sisters spoke like that, and not Misty, I'll never know. "Glad to see you." I nodded.

"I suppose. Hasn't really been a great day so far." I said as I looked at my watch. Only 9:30. "How are you holding up?" She wrapped her arms around herself and held her body. She looked into her reflection in the tank of water that was built into the wall, across from the pool tank where I stood.

"Oh, like, you know," She sighed, lifting her shoulders, "Surviving, I guess. It's tough without my sisters here."

"I'd imagine. You were closer than most families." I walked over to her location and scanned the fish tank myself. We were quiet.

"At around this time, we'd be getting ready for our morning show." She spoke softly, "I'd be doing my hair," She said as she gestured to it, "Violet would like, be brushing for another hour, and Lilly would be ready already. She always was the quick one." She chuckled sadly to herself as she looked away from the fish tank. She was dying inside. I could tell. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like, to lose what basically added up to the only family members she had. "First Mom and Dad…" She muttered. That was the first time I had ever heard of her and Misty's parents. "Now Lilly and Violet…"

"I'm sorry…" Was all I could say.

"I just like, don't think I could go on if I lost anyone else." She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Misty's been staying with me ever since what happened, but she'll leave soon too, back to her house in Vermillion." She held the golden bar that represented a three foot's distance from the tank and viewer, and nearly fell. "I don't want to be alone! I've never been alone before." I caught her before she sunk to the floor, sobbing all the way. I was way out of my element here. Though I was used to getting information from grieving widows, parents and children, I had very little experience in comforting them. That was more of the Police Psychiatrist's job. She struggled against me helping her up for a moment, apparently wishing to stay on the floor.

"You're not alone," I said to her softly. "Misty is your sister too, she'll always be there for you. You have all these beautiful Pokémon too." I said, gesturing to the tank. I fondly recall memories of a pleasant Seel that swam these waters as well. "You have the entire community of Kanto mourning your loss with you as well. Your sisters were Well-loved." She sniffed and seemed to calm down and compose herself as she let me help her to her feet.

"Like," she sniffed again, "Thanks Ash." She rubbed her eyes, which for once had no mascara on them. "No wonder Misty always liked you." I blushed, but smiled. She stood up on her own now, and hugged me. "You were always so nice." If I were ten, I'd be stiff as a board right now. But I was an adult, and she was a hurting friend. So I returned the embrace and allowed her to pull away when she was ready. "I…have to go now." She said suddenly. "I've got to like, feed the Pokémon. Misty will be in soon, I think she's finishing up. I nodded.

"Okay, it was," I paused to think of my words, "It was nice talking to you Daisy. I'm available to listen if you'd like to talk again." She smiled sadly and nodded, before walking out into the hallway again.

I stood by myself by the tank and watched silently as numerous aquatic life-forms swam past my field of vision. I always did like how they whisked by. Where were they going, I wondered. How peaceful must it be? To not have any inkling of the chaos that was the outside world. Clueless fish. No responsibilities, no worries, no fears, merely a tank they never could think of leaving. Ignorance truly must be bliss, I thought as I looked upon the happy faces of two Luvdisk bumping into each other.

I hadn't noticed the woman standing next to me. I jumped back.

"Misty!" I spoke, surprised. "I didn't see you there." I looked at her. Pale white skin juxtaposed against a black t-shirt and grey shorts that were high up on her smooth long legs. Her strawberry blonde hair fell past her shoulders, still wet from her shower.

"Sorry, I was spying." She said half-joking. "Anyways, I'm glad you showed up."

"My pleasure. I'm sure you must be—"

"Disgusted? That a monster like my sister's killer could sink even lower somehow, and kill two kids?" She held a look of ferocity in her eyes, which frightened even I. "Yeah. I am." She crossed her arms and leaned against the bar. "I have a confession, Ash." I looked at her with a curious face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I didn't just call you to Kanto for a visit, nor did I supply you with a suite completely out of kindness." She sighed as she spoke these words and I grew even more confused.

"Then… why, Mist?" I asked. There was an _audible_ silence, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

"I want you to... track down my sister's murderer." Misty spoke finally, in a grim monotone. I looked at her with disbelief. Being a detective, I should have seen this coming.

END OF CHAPTER 5

_I do hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I understand there was quite a bit of mood whiplash in this one, so I appreciate if you stuck it out this far. Hopefully y'all like the direction I'm going for with this story and I do believe the story is finally beginning starting now. A new chapter will be up as soon as possible, I assure you! Thanks again for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Okay, I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here, but honestly, I cannot begin to explain how thankful I am to the readers of this story for well, _reading it_! This story has almost hit __**500 views**__ and that number is rapidly growing! While I would appreciate a bit more feedback, nonetheless I appreciate the viewership. _

_Also, I know I've been using "mood whiplash" like it was goin' out of style, but I just wanna tell y'all, this chapter is another huge example. This is actually one of the funnier chapters, but I hope you appreciate the drama of it as well. Thank you~_

**Chapter 6**

The pause that was held over the conversation was not a quick one. It could be _felt_. My surprise was only outdone by my rising suspicion and confusion.

"So, that was what calling me was about." I spoke matter-of-factly, "The penthouse and the not-so-mini-bar. You were buttering me up before the proposal." I was not entirely offended, but I did feel as if I were strung along.

"One of my main business strategies," She said coyly, "And it never fails."

"Misty, I'm on vacation. I'm relieved of duty." I was giving see-through excuses. The truth was, I wasn't too sure I could catch this person, and _yes_, it was a person. No Pokémon uses a handgun. "I'm afraid I can't help you." Misty looked at me with desperation.

"But…" She muttered, "Ash, please," she was edging closer to me now, and I had become uneasy. "The Saffron City Police Department is at a dead end when it comes to leads, and I'm afraid that the members of the press _covering _the events are outnumbering the actual men and women looking for the culprit. Please Ash." I was still quite unsure.

"Misty, I—"

"If you won't do it for me, do it for my sister!" She yelled at she pointed towards the hallway. "She has to come home to an empty house! For how long, I don't even know. How will she pay the bills by herself? Take care of all these Pokémon by herself? Worst of all, she has to go to sleep at night, knowing those responsible for taking Violet and Lilly away from her are still out there, murdering more people's loved ones!" Her voice was starting to grow hoarse, and her eyes formed tears in them. "Think of those kids. A younger you and I, if you will." I gritted my teeth as I listened. "Two trainers on a journey, with a _dream_." She looked me dead in the eyes, and I could see the intensity in them. "They had that dream _stolen _from them." I nearly lost it there. She was putting a lot on my shoulder's now, and I had my own share of problems.

Then I remembered, I took an oath. When I first entered the academy, I took an oath that I swore I'd follow. To protect everyone and anyone I could, within my power. To lay myself down in the line of fire. I would do just that.

"Misty," I grabbed her right hand, and she looked up at me, face stained with fresh tears. "I'll help in any way I can." She smiled at me, the first _real, _non-forced smile she'd smiled in days. That alone was enough to convince me I'd made the right choice. Let alone the hug I received immediately after.

"Oh my God, Ash _thank you_!" She squealed with delight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much." She said as she quietly started to sob into my shoulder.

"I can't promise anything," I warned. I rubbed her back as I tried comforting her. "But I'll try my best. That usually gets the job done." Misty laughed softly into my coat, and we just stood there for a few moments.

Misty treated me to breakfast, even though I offered to pay. I told her she didn't have to butter me up anymore, and she replied with a wave of the hand.

"I insist." She said as we sat at a booth by the window of a diner in Cerulean City, the only other person in the diner being a short man in a trench coat, wearing a hat, and another family. "It's a new spot, and I wanted to come by anyways." I smiled, glad she was feeling better. "I wish Daisy would have come, but she's locked herself in her room."

"She'll be okay," I said, more hopeful than sure of myself. "She has you watching over her. Usually it's the other way around with big sisters." A waitress with long, styled red hair came and handed me a plate of scrambled eggs, with two pieces of toast. I usually prefer egg-whites as a healthier substitute, but why complain over free food?

"I know," Misty said as she was handed a stack of pancakes with a melting slab of butter on top by male waiter. "They were older in age, but younger emotionally. They were co-dependent on each other."

"_You_ on the other hand…" I began as I shoveled a slice of toast into my mouth.

"I was the one that wanted to leave the nest, go out exploring. I didn't need anyone." She seemed proud as she spoke. "Until I met you and Brock of course." She smiled.

"Aw, _sweetie_," I said with a chuckle as I immediately devoured my eggs. I was truly a disgusting sight.

"Where _is_ Brock, by the way? I was sure he'd follow you here." I ignore her comment as I finished my plate.

"He was still sleeping when I left. I assume he's woken up and caught wind of what happened by now."

"After the rest of Kanto has been up since 5," She scoffed as she picked at her food. "I still can't believe it. Who'd kill a _kid_, you know?"

"There's plenty of sickos out there, Mist." I responded knowingly. "Rapists, Human Traffickers, Kidnappers…" I sighed as I continued, "Murderers, Terrorists…_bad_ people. Bad people kill kids, Misty." I finished off my plate and pushed it to the side, "And there's _lots of 'em._"

"Gosh," She spoke in awe as she held her face in her hand. "You must have seen a lot." I shrugged.

"I've seen my share. Let me tell ya, Team Rocket was a picnic compared to what I dealt with on my old beat." Misty actually laughed at this.

"I remember those clowns!" She hollered. "I had nearly forgotten. The girl with the hair, the effeminate one and the talking Meowth!" This time we both broke out in laughter. It felt good to laugh again.

"How'd that old motto go?" I asked, digging into the depths of my mind. I pondered over this for a moment.

"Prepare for trouble!" Misty announced in her hammiest voice. It all came back to me now. I smiled at her also happy looking face.

"And make it…double?" I replied questioningly as Misty nodded yes.

"To protect the world from devastation!" I sang, finally remembering it. Misty clapped her hands.

"To defend all people within our nation~" Misty was really into it, seemingly enjoying herself for once. Her smile said it all. I then remembered a line from the motto that had actually stuck with me, even after I forgot where it was from. It was their only truly _strange_ line in the motto, entirely because of its pessimism.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love." I spoke with slightly less enthusiasm. Misty caught this and pretended to get very somber.

"Toextendourreachtothestarsabove…" She mumbled quickly. This prompted me to laugh again.

"Haha! Jessie!" I laughed.

"James." Misty said seductively, somehow holding a rose her teeth. We then in unison spoke the next line.

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!" We sang in harmony. We then proceeded to burst laughing again. Our laughter was interrupted though, however. We had felt the presence of someone else with us. Two figures standing in front of our booth.

"Surrender _now_. Or prepare to fight." Hissed the male waiter that had served Misty her food. I now recognized he had purple hair, and a familiar face. As did the waitress next to him, who grinned evilly at Misty, holding another gun. I then heard another familiar voice. The short man in the hat I saw as I came in earlier stood up. He removed his hat, revealing the ears of a feline, and a golden coin placed in the middle of his forehead.

"_Mee-yowth_, that's _ri-i-iight_~" He sang with an evil toothy grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"Team R-!" Misty was about to shout, before Jessie had placed a rag over her mouth. Misty soon passed out. This was all happening so fast, I barely had time to grab the gun from James' hand. But I made a grab for it.

"Why you-!" He pulled back, very much struggling to keep the gun in his grasp.

"You _pricks!_" I shouted as I head-butt James as hard as I could.

"OwOwowwww!" He whined as he fell backwards, a trail of blood leaking from his head following his descent.

"James!" Jessie called out. He was quiet. "You…you fucking _twerp_! You killed James!" I pointed the gun at her, and she started to cry as she fell to her knees. Meowth also looked mortified as he neared the two slowly. I pointed the gun at him quickly, to assure him he really shouldn't move. I pointed it slowly back at Jessie. "You killed James, _you son of a bitch_." She hissed as she raised her hand.

"For Gods' sake," I said with exasperation. "He's _knocked out_. Relax." She actually seemed to be relieved at that, I saw it in her eyes. Still pissed though. A seething _hatred_ emanated from her body, and it was directed at me. "I have a couple of _questions_ for you." I looked at one of the adults from the family across the hall, whom were all looking at us, frightened out of their minds. "Please call the police?" I asked. The father nodded quickly and got the phone on the desk.

"Uh, it's made of cardboard." I looked at Jessie again with disbelief. She smiled.

"We built this restaurant last night," She said, informing me of her ability to still do the impossible. "After we saw _you_ get off the train."

"Oh God," I said, "You guys are _still_ at it? Team Rocket disbanded _over a decade ago_!" Meowth spoke up behind me.

"We'ah patta our _own_ crew!" He shouted.

"Get over here now!" I demanded as he yelped nervously and complied.

"Gee, kid, _you_ sure changed." Jessie said in a mocking tone. She wasn't even taking me serious right now. She didn't even care how much trouble she'd be in once the police arrived.

"Wish I could say the same about you guys." I said with a snarl. "Now you better answer my questions."

"Or _what?_" Jessie teased. Meowth laughed.

"Yeah! What if we stayed quiet 'til da cops got hea? Oh wait…_what_ cops?" Meowth and Jessie both shared a laugh, and I even chuckled with them for a moment.

"You answer my questions," I began, as my laughter died down, "Or I'll get _you_ in the brain," I then pointed the gun at the cat, "And _you_ right in your pussy-cat _fuckin' _ass." Meowth jumped in terror.

"Oh shit! Jessie, I tink he's serious!" Meowth cried as he held her hair to his body. "We _could_ make a run for it!"

"But, what about James?" She asked the cat frantically.

"He was a good soulja! He died doin' what he _loved_." Meowth was growing even more frantic. I couldn't help but be amused. I obviously wasn't _really_ going to shoot them, but these guys were gullible as ever.

"But the twerp said he wasn't dead!" Jessie cried.

"He's decievin' ya!" The cat retorted. "He wet himself, see?" He pointed his paw at James' crotch, and there was quite a stain.

"Uh, Meowth, I don't think that's how you tell." Jessie whispered.

"He's alive you guys, re_lax_. He just pissed himself." I was honestly starting to laugh now, but then I looked at Misty's unconscious body and grew angry again. "Now shut the hell up, and answer my questions." I thought I'd scare them again, "And put up those goddamn hands!" I shouted. They complied immediately.

"Okay! Okay! What'dya wanna know? We'll sing like canaries!" Meowth dramatically announced. Jessie nodded quickly. James laid there, drool pooling out of his bottom lip.

"Where were you at 2 AM this morning?" I asked in a tone that made it sound more like a demand.

"Here! We were building!" Jessie said, begging to be believed.

"You're _lying_," I said viciously as I cocked the gun. The woman and feline screamed. At this point, Misty was starting to come to.

"Huh?" She said as her eyes adjusted to the sight of me holding a gun to a kneeling Team Rocket's face, one of them lying face down on the ground with a pool of blood coming from his head. She then proceeded to scream and nearly faint again.

"Misty, relax, he's _unconscious_." I assured her. Misty collected herself.

"Oh my God, it-it-its _them_! What are you even _DOING_ here?" She screeched.

"When we finally saw the main twerp after so many years," Jessie began, gesturing to me, "And we followed him to the _other_ twerp," she said, speaking of Brock, "who then led us to _you_—Well, we had to seize the moment." Meowth nodded.

"Shut up for two seconds." I said cruelly. "Two gunshots were heard this morning, in Saffron city." I collected my thoughts. "How do I know you didn't kill those trainers, realize you messed up and followed me here?" I waited for a reply, but they just seemed confused. "Just as I thought: Petty _thieves _turned child killers after years of crushing defeat; Pitiful."

"What!?" Meowth cried, "We didn't kill no kids!" Paws out, he tried desperately to assure me. "We ain't never done nothin' like that! We don't even know about no shootin'! We seen you get off da train, we hightailed it over here, cuz we knew that's where da bimbo lived, and we waited!" Meowth chuckled. "You're very predictable, by the way."

"LIARS!" I pointed the gun even harder at them, causing them to flinch. At this point, someone from the family had called the cops on a cellphone. I saw the red and blue lights from outside the window.

"Ash, the police are here. They can deal with them now." Misty said calmly as she stood up, "Out of my way," she barked at Jessie, whom she pushed out of her way as she headed to the exit. I didn't move.

"Did you kill two trainers this morning? Did you think it was _us_?" I had actually felt betrayed. They were by no means _friends_ of mine, but they had saved my life a few times. They were people that I remembered almost fondly from my youth. Those guys that always goofed up on their schemes, and were sent shooting into the sky. They were just as much a part of my adventures as Misty or Brock. They tried to _kill _us this morning, I know it.

"No! We just wanted your Pikachu! We promise!" Jessie was now crying.

"Pikachu's not here." I said.

"All we wanted was that _goddamn_ Pikachu…then we'd retire. To the Orange Islands we thought," She was looking down now at James. She stroked his cheek as a single tear fell from hers and hit the ground. "But now, Team Rocket's gonna blast off again…"

"_You in there! Put down the gun!"_ I heard speak over a megaphone from outside. It was a Jenny, I know that tone. I looked outside the window, taking my eyes off of Jessie for a few seconds too long.

"Ash, look out!" I heard Misty yell, as I felt my legs fall out from under me. Jessie had gotten me with a sweep kick.

"Dammit!" I yelled. I gripped the gun tighter so it couldn't be pried away. Funnily enough, they didn't even try to take it.

"Fool!" Jessie cried out, holding James under her arm. "Think we wouldn't have a getaway planned?!"

"Oh, God," I rolled my eyes as I watched them. "Fuck this." I aimed the gun at Jessie's leg and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Jessie noticed this and looked kind of angry.

"Stupid James forgot to load the thing! No matter…" She retrieved a device from her pocket. The device was a simple grey remote, with a red button sticking out of it. "When I press this button, the whole building will EXPLODE!" She and the cat then started to laugh maniacally.

"But…" Misty started. "_You're_ still in it." Jessie and Meowth stopped laughing.

"Oh, right…" Jessie said with a drooped face. "Well then nobody move! We'll go out the back! Still got my hand on the button!" I rolled my eyes again and reached for the pistol I had stashed in the back of my pants.

"This one has bullets in it," I said as I pointed the cold steel directly at them. "Now go out the front with your hands up." Jessie and Meowth sighed, raising their hands. Jessie dropped James in the process. We all walked towards the door, Misty holding it for us.

"I thought it was funny I'd never seen this place before." She mused as we departed.

I had explained myself to Officer Jenny and showed her my badge, to prove I wasn't full of shit. I filled her in on the details, of how they had planned to rob us then blow up the building with us in it. She assured me that they wouldn't be out causing trouble for a long time. They always said that.

"I also think they might have been responsible for the shooting this morning," I stated, "Here's the gun." Jenny gasped as she took it carefully. "There's no bullets in it. Plus the safety's on."

"Good job, detective. You'll be getting a good word from me to your commissioner, that's for sure!" She took the gun from my hands and placed it in a freezer bag. She handed it to an assistant and then placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'll have forensics take a look at it, and I'll keep these idiots at the station for questioning." I nodded.

"Thanks officer, good luck." With that, Jenny walked away. Misty walked up to me, wrapped in a pink shock blanket. She looked upset.

"I think our nostalgia filter was a little too thick with them." She said passively as we watched the three goons being taken away in cuffs.

"Very much so. Are you okay?" I asked concerned. She nodded with a half-smile.

"My head hurts." She replied.

"That's the chloroform they used. You'll be okay." She was looking at me in awe. The same look I remember she'd give me when watching me win gym battles. "What?" I asked. She looked away.

"Nothing," She said quietly, "You're so…"

"Cool?" I smiled. "I know." She pushed my lightly.

"Okay, cool it." She smiled. We were quiet for a minute.

"So, think they're the ones?" I asked.

"Of course not." She said bluntly. I was surprised.

"Why not?"

"They were _here_ for sure. This diner wasn't here when I got back last night." I cursed inside my head.

"_Damn_." I should have asked her before. At least they'd be questioned. If by any chance they _did_ know something, Jenny would force it out of them. "Well, I guess I should begin _my_ investigation."

"Okay!" Misty said happily. "Uh, how do we do that?"

"Well…" My face dropped, and I soon felt the eggs beginning to rise in my stomach. I released Charizard from his pokeball. He appeared before us in a flash of light.

"Ready for another ride buddy?" I asked my now happy friend. He nodded, and I nearly lost my eggs. "We're going back to Saffron."

END OF CHAPTER 6

_The game is afoot! What? The game is a foot? Find out next time on gamegrumps…_


	7. Chapter 7

_I got nothin' to say today. Enjoy:_

**Chapter 7**

12:13 pm

Clouds zoomed past us like racecars as Misty and I ripped through the skies on Charizard's back. Misty held onto me as I gripped my Dragon Pokémon's scaly neck. I made a mental note to get a hair-cut at some point this week; flying + long hair = I look ridiculous upon landing. I looked back towards Misty, whom was having far worse problems with her long hair. I laughed at her. I then noted I've been doing a lot of laughing with her lately. Had she been the one I needed all these years? Not my stupid _dream_.

I recall that night six years ago, during the party, and the feeling I had of…well, not exactly a _fullness_ of happiness…but maybe an _enough-ness _of it. That night's end was when the spiral started, following my total abandonment of Kanto and all that live in it. The drinking built up over time. I'd come home from work and have a drink with dinner. Over time, I'd eventually have a couple while I watched tv or did reports. Sometimes I'd have one before bed as well.

I didn't date. Sure, I had that one night thing with _May_ a long time ago, but that wasn't exactly out of _love_. We were both virgins and didn't want to be. We agreed to stay friends and never mention it again. Then Dawn with her short skirt—well, I digress. I didn't _date_. My heart was with one girl. She never seemed to want it.

But maybe I was wrong all these years. I thought of asking her out to dinner right there, but I assumed it would be inappropriate during an _investigation_. I am a professional after all.

"You still do that," Misty laughed from behind me, "You're so _dramatic_." I cocked a brow and turned my head. The wind hit the side of my face, and blew the hair on the side of my head into my face.

"What?" I asked, "What are you even talking about?"

"That _thing_!" She yelled, "You do it when you're in _deep_ _thought_ or something," she started laughing, "Even though you were never known for your 'deep thoughts' back in the day."

"Okay, _rude_ first of all, but what _thing_?"

"Whenever you're thinking or stressing about something you get this faraway look in your eyes. As if you were writing a story in your head or something." I blinked.

"_Huh_," Was my response. I'd never thought of that before and I pondered this quietly.

"See?" She said, pointing at me with a smirk. I started to chuckle, thinking was becoming quite awkward.

"I'm a detective," I replied finally, "I had to learn to think deeply, it's part of the job. To be observant, you know?" She nodded.

"I like it! You're not the _idiot trainer_ from when we were kids." She jibbed as she stuck her tongue out at me. I furrowed my brow but honestly wasn't that offended. Mostly because it was true. I'd seen tapings of my battles before, and reviewing them now, I would have slapped my kid self around like a rag doll.

"Okay, okay!" I said. "I have a few questions, actually." It was time to get to business.

"What kind?" She queried with a raised eyebrow and a worried look.

"Stuff for the case," I responded. I then looked at Charizard and tapped his neck. "Slow it down there, buddy. Cruise for a minute." he complied and slowed down to a relaxed floating. I then sat up a little as a confused Misty watched on. I retrieved my notepad from my coat pocket and opened it up. I scanned it for my conversation with Misty on the phone the night before I took the train down. "You said your sisters were 'crammed in a dumpster' when they were found. Correct?"

"That's right," she said softly, "under some garbage bags." I remained silent for a moment, and continued on.

"Do you know the location of the dumpster they were found in?" I put the pen to my notepad and waited, ready to start writing at any time. Misty took a moment to remember.

"I believe a cop found them in a dumpster in Saffron," she tapped her chin and squinted. I wrote this down.

"Can you be more specific?" I asked.

"I'm afraid not…" She sighed, "But I know the officer that found them."

"Okay," I said as I wrote on my notepad. "Name?"

"Do you have to ask?" She laughed. I rolled my eyes and wrote 'Jenny' on the pad.

"Do you know a surname?" All Jenny's were related _somehow_, by blood, marriage, etc. They identified each other by different surnames. How else did you think they could even tell?

"Douglas." She said knowingly.

"Okay, good."

"Why were your sisters in Saffron?" I asked.

"They probably went shopping. I honestly have no idea." She slumped her shoulders and looked upset. "I'm sorry, did I not help?"

"Actually, you've given me my first witness." I closed my note pad and put it back in my coat pocket. "And now that I think about it, I'd better call _my_ boss, before I get in a _ridiculous_ amount of trouble for working outside my jurisdiction, _and _on paid vacation time." Misty looked slightly guilty but smiled innocently. I scoffed. I retrieved my phone from my coat, and dialed the Goldenrod City Police Department's number. I'd call her cell, but again, I preferred to remain professional.

"Goldenrod Police Department, how can I help you?" Inquired the female voice that handled extensions. I had never met her myself, but she always sounded like she wasn't even paying attention, just doing her nails or something.

"Could you patch me through to Commissioner Jenny's office please? Badge number 151."

"Badge 151, Detective Ash Ketchum," She replied lazily, "Please hold." I heard a click and waited.

"Commissioner Jenny, what is it?" She sounded as if she had never laughed a day in her life when on cop-mode, though I knew for a fact that she was a party girl when we went bar-hopping during the weekends. Just an interesting contrast, you know?

"It's Detective Ketchum, ma'am." I responded. I heard a groan from the other side.

"Almost 12:30, you _should_ be nursing a hangover, and you've called me on the main line calling yourself _Detective _on vacation." She sounded pissed. "I assume you've got your badge clipped to your shirt as well."

"I actually wear it like a necklace sort of thing under my shirt." Misty looked perplexed but I waved her off. "Anyways, Jen—"

"Captain," She interrupted. "When you're on duty you refer to me as _captain." _I smiled. There's always someone that just _knows_ you. Jenny was a pal.

"I'm definitely going to need you to contact the Cerulean and Saffron city police departments. I need full jurisdiction rights. I've been hired by the victim's family."

"I'm on it, but just don't get in the way, you are representing the GCPD while you're there." I heard typing on a computer from the other end. "I had a feeling you'd throw yourself into this mess."

"I was pulled." I muttered into the phone.

"No time for the details, I've got a lot of work to do. There's basically widespread chaos at the moment. Media _frenzy_ in the morning papers."

"I'd imagine. Anything you could give me on the kids that were murdered?" I retrieved my note pad again.

"Uhhh…" I heard her moving papers around, she always was a slob, "Two teenagers from New Bark in Johto, took the Magnet to Kanto. The next morning two gunshots were heard in East Saffron. Kids were found dead soon after shooting reports started coming in."

"Anything else? Location? Anything about the gun or bullet's point of entry?"

"This is the nasty part," Jenny said, "The victims' heads were _blown off_ with a shotgun. Like, closed casket blown off. Grizzly. We believe a shot gun was the type of weapon used, but a weapon hasn't been found."

"There goes my Team Rocket theory…" I mused when I realized they had used a pistol. "Where did they find the bodies?"

"East Saffron City, a couple blocks away from the Magnet Train station." I wrote that down, and as I did I underlined Magnet Train Station three times.

"I'm on my way to Saffron now, I'm going to find the officer that first found the bodies, so they can show me where." Eventually I realized the whole time I was on the phone, we had been merely floating. We still had a ways to go, so I tapped Charizard's neck lightly and he started moving again.

"No need, I can actually patch you through now if you have the Officer's extension or surname."

"Jenny Douglas," I responded, "You know her?"

"I don't really keep in touch with other Jenny's. I honestly can't stand them. No sense of individuality." Jenny always had issues with her lineage. I would too if I was the pretty much a clone. She was the only one I knew personally though, so who knows? Maybe other Jenny's are different off the clock as well.

"Find her yet?" I asked impatiently.

"Hold on, it's loading." There was a silence for a few seconds, then she spoke again, "Here we are, Officer Jenny Douglas, transit cop."

"So she works for transit?" I wrote that down. "I'm noticing a lot of connections to the murders and the train."

"I've noticed as well. I'll patch you through to her department now, call me later."

"Alright, thanks Captain." I then heard a click and then music.

"So?" Misty asked.

"I'm on the case," Misty smiled and clapped, "I'm being patched through to Saffron PD now, hold on."

I then heard a click.

"Detective Ketchum?" I heard a male voice ask.

"Yes, hello. I'm looking for—"

"I know what you're looking for." He interrupted. I cocked a brow. "You're looking for another stab at fame."

"Excuse me?" I asked, growing suspicious. "Who is this?"

"You know who I am. You might not remember me though. Nobody does." The voice grew quiet, but then spoke up. "Quite a ruckus you caused in Cerulean this morning." The voice grew colder. "You're going to quit your investigation before you start it." Son of a bitch.

"You're our little celebrity I assume," I covered the phone mic with my hand, "goddamnit." I muttered as I listened to the man speak.

"Is that what they're calling me? Excellent. Then I'm sure my fans will love my next performance." The voice had very little feeling in it, and almost sounded scared. I was confused, and Misty looked at me worriedly. I had pressed the record button at the same time I covered the phone, so I'd inform her after. I needed to keep the guy talking as much as possible. I could get a voice sample from this.

"Performance? You mean murder?" I asked sharply.

"Call it whatever you want. I consider myself an artist. I merely hunt my tools." The voice was low and rough, and it sounded like whoever was speaking barely had a functioning throat.

"Those _tools_ are innocent people with _families_." I responded. "You're no artist, you're a demon." There was a pause, and what I swear were sobs. "Where are you?"

"Oh, I'm safe. The man I'm using to make this phone call however, is far from it." My eyes widened and I nearly fell off my Charizard. The man who was speaking on the phone was now obviously crying and in pain.

"WHAT?" I yelled, causing Misty to jump in surprise.

"Who is this? Tell me your name!" I was now very nervous. This was all happening very fast.

"My name is not important," spoke the crying man, "But in 20 seconds this phone call will end. If you do not answer my question correctly, he will…die." He almost couldn't finish his sentence.

"Sir, don't worry, I won't let—"

"Quiet…" He said, "What does a Cubone's face look like without the skull? 18 seconds." That's a trick question, nobody knows that.

"How could I possibly—"

"15 seconds…please…" The man was crying again.

"Shit…"

"10 seconds."

"Stop!" I begged. Misty was now completely terrified.

"8…9…I hope you're enjoying recording this by the way." Damnit…this guy was ridiculous.

"Please…"

"Not like you could even trace it to me. Not my phone, not my fingerprints. Not even my _voice_. 5. 4."

Fuck, fuck, fuck. When a Cubone's mother dies, the cubone wears its mother's skull as a token of remembrance, and also as a form of armor from predators. But nobody's ever gotten a look at a baby cubone without the skull on. Not even through breeding.

"3…2…" The man went on, not slowing down even as he looked death in the face.

"I DON'T KNOW!" I shouted.

"Then you lose…Ehghhhh!" I heard the an give out a death croak, followed by the bubbling of blood. The line was then cut.

I removed the phone from my ear and nearly dropped it. I then received a call from a blocked number, seconds after the previous call ended. This time it was a female's voice.

"Would you like to know the answer to the riddle Ash?" I nearly lost it.

"Who is _this_ now?" I asked desperately.

"If you took off a Cubone's skull, you'd see true misery." The woman's voice sounded happy. As if they took pleasure in their words. "You can hide your problems with a mask, but it is a false identity. Everyone wears a mask. It's time for the masks to be taken off. End the investigation, it's pointless."

"Fuck you."

"I'll take your mask off next if you don't stop now. Goodbye." Then the click.

"Ash?" I heard Misty ask. "What just happened?"

I hadn't a clue. I merely knew that I fucked up, and I hadn't even started yet. But I knew for a fact I wasn't giving up right there.

"Ash?" She asked again. "What the hell?" I looked dead ahead with my eyes on the ever nearing city of Saffron. I just listened to a man die. By the hands of someone who knows who I am. What if they came after Misty or Brock, my _mother_ even? This killer's connection to the trains just got blurred.

"That was the killer Mist. He's done it again. I have no idea who or where." Misty was shocked. "He knows I'm looking for him."

"But…how?" She asked.

"Says he knows me. That I know him. But if I had a theory of who it was before, I have no idea now." I was quiet for a minute. "A woman just called. Said she was gonna remove everyone's masks…I recorded it all." I played both phone calls over the speaker to Misty. She listened to the first with horror, and the second with a different kind of terror. We both agreed that the woman's voice was decidedly creepy.

"So, the girl is the killer?" She asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. A lot of times the _real_ culprit has an accomplice. Sometimes even a whole _crew_." As we finally hovered over Saffron, I had a thought.

"Okay, Misty. I'm gonna need you to follow my directions exactly." She perked up and looked at me intently. "Understand? To a 't'." We descended ever further, Charizard gracefully plummeting angel-like.

"Okay, jeez…" she grunted with a nodded, "What are they?" Charizard landed on his feet with a 'thud', right in the middle of the street. Luckily there weren't cars coming as we got off. We three walked to the sidewalk, I kept Charizard out of his pokeball for the time being.

"Go home. Leave the police work to me. I can't have you getting into anything dangerous."

"Go home? But you need me!" She pouted and stomped.

"Misty, the killer _knows_ about me. I can't have him coming after you." Misty gulped, knowing full well that anyone was a potential victim at this point. I gave her Commissioner Jenny's number in case of emergencies.

"Are you headed to the police station now?" Misty asked, as she stroked Charizard's back.

"First I've got to go to my room at the hotel," I replied wearily. "Pikcahu's probably torn the room apart, and I really should get a few things. Come with me, I'll have a cab pick you up at the hotel."

"Alright, thanks," She said with a nod. I recalled Charizard and we walked to the hotel.

"Misty," I said before we walked through those doors, "I need you to do one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Just follow my lead. Whatever I say from here on out, know that I'm working an angle." I looked at her intensely, hoping she understood my message. "Also, you can_not_ tell anyone without a badge that I'm on this case. I'm undercover as of right now. This whole thing is our secret. Understood?" She nodded.

"Understood."

"Good afternoon!" I heard Carol say in her usual chipper tone. "Oh, Ms. Waterflower!" She said with surprise as Misty and I walked in the building, "And the detective! I'm glad you're back." Machop jumped up from out of nowhere and on top of the desk. He was holding a slip of paper. "Dr. Harrison left this note, he said he was going out and to call him if you need him." I took the paper from Machop. It was his cell-phone number. Come to think of it, I didn't have his number before, so this was good.

"Thanks Carol," I said appreciatively. I thought I'd throw the girl a bone and flash her my famous smile as well. She seemed exhausted. "Long day?" I asked her. Her shoulder's slumped and her face sagged. Poor kid.

"Ugh, try _week_." Her orange hair was frizzed and the two large buns she had on the side of her head were nearly coming undone. "Especially this morning, it was a zoo!"

"Yeah, it's tough." I stuck my hands in my pockets. "I hate to add to the pile here, but could you call for a taxi for Ms. Waterflower here? She's got to head back to Cerulean you see." Carol beamed and her big blue eyes shone as she nodded.

"Of course, sir! Will you be needing anything else?" I pondered this for a moment. "Yes, actually. Do you by chance have any train schedules? Sadly, I'm needed back in Johto for a few days."

"Oh, no! Vacation's over?" She asked as she scratched her left ear. "That's a shame. But I understand the demands of work." She typed a few things on the computer in front of her. "Will you be holding onto the room? Or Are you staying in Johto?"

"Is it possible for someone else to stay there while I'm absent?" I asked.

"That'll be a fee. An extra hundred dollars a night." Carol replied. I looked at Misty, whom looked back at me with a very disapproving look. I flashed the puppy dog eyes and she sighed in defeat.

"My cousin Alex is gonna be in town for a few days for a seminar on…" I looked to my left and right suspiciously, and leaned in forward, as if whispering a secret. Carol leaned in close. "_Sexual harassment._" She blushed furiously.

"Oh my!" She cried. "He won't cause any trouble will he?" I laughed and waved my hand.

"Of course not!" I assured, "He's a great guy. It's a mandatory seminar for his company I guess, they all go on this big trip, hit the casino then go to an 8 hour meeting. He's no pervert. Married with two kids actually." She seemed relieved. We exchanged some more information before I walked Misty outside to her cab.

"Will you still be able to make it to the funeral?" She asked as she opened the car door.

"Of course." I nodded.

"Just what are you up, anyway?" She asked with a cocked brow.

"I'll let you know as soon as I can contact you from a line that I know is safe to speak on." Misty nodded and got into the cab. I handed her twenty dollars for fair but she wouldn't accept it. So I handed it to the driver and flipped her off; she chuckled. Before the driver took off, though, she rolled down the window and asked me one more thing.

"I never met your Cousin Alex." She seemed suspicious. "Why is that?"

"Oh, come on Misty." I rolled my eyes. "You know I don't have a cousin." Misty looked even more confused as they drove away. It was time I got that haircut.

END OF CHAPTER 7


	8. Chapter 8

_Wooo! 700 views and rising! Let's keep it going!_

**Chapter 8**

Later that same afternoon, I had walked out of the door of the Golden Nine-tails suitcase in hand. I had told Misty at the last second that I needed her to watch Pikachu for a few days, and _both_ were equally confused as they drove away. Pikachu was much too iconic as my Pokémon, seeing as I never had him in a Pokeball. He'd have ruined the whole plan. I made sure Carol watched me leave. I wanted _everyone_ to think I was leaving town.

Once I've pretended to board the train, actually taking a cab from the station to Vermillion City, I made my way to the local Mart and pick up some brown hair dye. I also pick up a little make-up that matched my skin tone. Lastly, I got a pair of green contact lenses. After my shopping, I headed to a barber, whom was instructed to cut my hair crew-cut style, with a taper in the back. I was unrecognizable with short hair. I'd be even more distinctive once I applied the dye, but that would be for later. I snuck into a public restroom stall and popped the contacts in and used the make-up to cover the lightning bolts on my cheeks, along with any freckles that were noticeable. I slipped on a pair of blue jeans, a casual blue button-up shirt, and an old pair of shitty white sneakers. I strapped a gun holster to my right ankle, choosing to hide my pistol underneath my pant leg.

When I released my Charizard and told him to fly me back to Saffron, he nearly burnt me to a crisp until I rubbed his neck the right way. When your own _Pokémon_ don't recognize you, then you're incognito as hell.

I had instructed Charizard to take me to the Saffron City Police Station. I still needed to talk with Officer Jenny Douglas of transit. When I got there, it was complete pandemonium. Jenny's were bouncing off the walls, papers flying everywhere and phones ringing constantly.

"Holy shit," I said to myself, "What's going on here?" Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a Jenny finally asked who I was and what I was doing.

"Detective Ash Ketchum of the Goldenrod City Police Department," I said as I showed my badge. "Excuse my strange appearance, I'm undercover at the moment. I'm looking for an Officer Jenny Douglas? What is going on here?"

"Your appearance don't bother me, I never seen you before. Also, the cause of the commotion is the fact that there's a killer on the loose," The Jenny said with hands on her hips, "We just got a report that an elderly man was found murdered in his home on the East side of town. This killer's officially be upgraded to _Serial_ Killer, so I'm surprised it's not any _crazier_." She sighed heavily and started walking down a hallway, signaling me to follow. "Officer Douglas is in the other room here. We'd actually brought her in for questioning, convenient you're here."

"Is she suspected of anything?" I asked.

"Not really," She shrugged, "She's just the one to find the two girls last weekend. But she also claims to have been on patrol near the train station during the shootings this morning as well. We're just trying to get her alibi and see it sticks." We looked at Officer Douglas through a glass two way mirror. She was wearing the brown uniform of a transit cop, but otherwise looked identical to other Jenny's. She had a little dab of a beauty mark on her right cheek though.

"Mind if I talk to her?" I responded. Quite the coincidence that she'd be on patrol on the same night

"If you'd like. Conducting your own investigation?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Of sorts." I walked into the room, relieving the officer before me. I sat thetable, opposite of Miss Douglas.

"You lost?" She asked. I assumed she was referring to my appearance as a citizen.

"Who isn't?" I asked quietly, more to myself than her as I retrieved my note pad from my coat pocket. "I'm a Detective, you can call me Ash."

"_Jenny,_" She said with a sneer. She didn't seem all that enthused to talk to me.

"Ms. Douglas," I began, "I was wondering if you'd answer a couple questions for me?"

"As if I had a choice. I've been here for about two hours. Am I being accused of something?" Her tone had risen in anger, "I was just doing my job like any other Jenny."

"What exactly happened that first night you came across the two young ladies?"

"I was just patrolling around the train station like I do every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday," She began as she recalled a story she probably told several times today, "I patrol the inside 10:00 PM 'til 2 AM, and then I lock the doors and walk around the premises until 6 am when I'm relieved of duty." I had made sure to write all this down, underlining dates and times.

"Go on."

"Well at around 3 or 3:30 AM on Monday morning, the sun had started to rise so it was a little easier to see. I'd smelled something every time I walked around to the back of the station, and when I had gotten around there in the light, well," She looked uncomfortable for a moment as she recalled the horrible sight she had been forced to bare witness to, "I saw them. Two half-naked girls with deep, horrible gashes in their throats, stuffed into the dumpster like garbage. They were under some garbage bags, so I wouldn't have even seen them if their legs hadn't been hanging out." She had to pause for a moment, but I'd merely remained focused on my notepad. "I called for back up right away, and they bodies were taken away. That's all."

"And the incident this morning? I've been informed you were aware of the shooting as well?" She nodded, still seemingly worried that she might be in trouble.

"At around 1 o'clock, I saw two kids get off the train. I'd watched them leave, nothing out of the ordinary… and then I looked away for a moment and they were completely out of my eye range," She'd stopped to yawn, obviously very tired, but continued on, "I had then gone to the bathroom for a quick moment, but when I was washing my hands I heard the first gunshot. I ran outside immediately, hearing the second gunshot on the way about 20 seconds after the first; but when I managed to find the shooting location, I was too late. The perp had gotten away, and I saw another two dead bodies."

I was silent for a few minutes, still writing. Officer Douglas had started to fidget impatiently.

"Are we through?" She asked nasally.

"Where did you find both sets of bodies again?" I asked abruptly.

"Uh, the girls I found in the dumpster behind the train station," She said as she listed with her fingers, "The young boy and girl I found within walking distance of each other on Pumpernickel street and the end of Akron street respectively."

"Where exactly?" I asked looking up at her, finally noticing her large golden eyes that held ferocity in them not uncommon to other Jennies.

"Here's the crime scene files. You're welcome to visit them, though I'm sure the dumpsters been emptied and filled since last weekend. The crime scene from the shooting this morning is still taped off though." She slid me a large manila envelope and I placed it in my coat pocket with my note pad. I had thanked Officer Douglas for her cooperation and told her that was all I needed. I left the station with clear goals in mind. First, I was to investigate the crime scene from the shootings, before it grew too cold. Then I was going to check the dumpster.

When I arrived at Akron Street, I gasped as I saw the size of the crowd and the News vans that had encircled them. There were police holding back reporters and trying to calm the masses, and when I entered the scene I had nearly gotten my head torn off by one of the more irritable officers. A quick flash of my badge solved that, but I made a mental note not to flash my badge in public after that, as I was supposed to be undercover here.

"We already have a detective on the scene," Replied the Jenny, whom I had learned had the surname of Smith. I seemed to be talking to a lot of Jennies lately. In my line of work though, it's unavoidable. "Along with the private detectives the family of the deceased hired, plus our own Department's brave men and women. These kids will get their justice soon. Your presence isn't exactly needed, Detective Ketchum."

"If I weren't needed, then the esteemed Waterflower family wouldn't have requested me by name." I said sourly as I edged myself into the scene. "Speaking of names, please refer to me as Andy. I'm working an angle. Put that in any public press releases as well. Who's the detective on scene at the moment? I'd like to speak with them."

"While I don't appreciate _you_ giving _me_ orders, _Andy_, I do recognize the Waterflowers as respected and intelligent, so they must know what they're doing requesting you. Follow me, and do be more respectful to the other officers."

"I didn't mean any disrespect." I assured as we walked further into the scene, when finally we approached a man with short, buzzed blue hair, hunched over one of the covered bodies of the deceased. He'd removed the sheet from the victim's face, which was unidentifiable due to the hole that had since replaced the face. I recognized from the clothing and shape of the body that this had been the girl, Kris. Her blue hair was bloody and matted, sticking to her forehead and whatever was left of her face. The man merely looked her over, not even wincing at the horrible sight. Even when the crusted blood flaked off like the crumbs of a crescent roll when he moved her hair slightly, he remained stoic.

"Detective John," Jenny announced, diverting the man's attention away from the girl for a moment, "This is Detective…er…well, we're calling him _Andy_ at the moment. His real name is a secret."

"To the _public_, for the time being. No need to be so melodramatic about it." I said jokingly. Officer Smith had obviously grown tired of me and started to turn away from us.

"He's yours now, John, I've got crowd control duties." She looked at me with a frown, "Keep your nose clean." She hissed. I tapped my right nostril and smiled.

"_Sterile_, Officer." She rolled her eyes and walked off to calm the masses. I requested no cameras on scene during the investigation before she left, so once the news vans dispersed, half the crowd found the whole thing much less exciting. There was still plenty of rabble left over of course. Nonetheless, the blue haired detective stood up to shake my hand; Finally, someone in the force with some respect for a fellow officer.

"Detective John Siernim, good to meet you. I assume you're wearing make-up for _Work-related_ reasons, not _personal_ ones." He said with a disarming smile. His voice was very deep, the type of voice that a born leader would possess. Powerful, but trusting and familiar.

"Ah, so you _are_ a detective." I said, holding my hand out to shake. He took it in a firm grasp and nodded. He stood about a foot taller than I did, and he looked a bit down at me, studying me with his wide, icy blue eyes.

"Yes sir, going on my third year since the patrol days." He responded with pride. "Thankfully I've managed to do quite well as an investigator. The blue suit made me feel very much like I was a blueberry with a gun." He wore plainclothes, much like I usually did on duty. He wore blue jeans with Timberland work boots that had been covered in years' worth of dust and dirt. I usually at least wore a tie, but this man had chosen to wear a white dress shirt that had seemed like it needed an iron over it for quite some time now. It was unbuttoned around the collar, so I could see he had a white tank top underneath that had only partially hidden a small, bronze X of Arceus, dangling from a golden chain around his neck. The X was shaped like Arceas' Collar, resembling an 'X' overlapping two opposite facing parenthesis signs. "(X)" for the less imaginative readers.

I lost my faith a long time ago.

"_Siernim_, was it?" He nodded, and I recalled my academy days, "I know a _Jenny_ Siernim from back in Johto. Any relation? Just sounds like a Johto name is all."

"Cousin Jenny! Though, I'm related to a lot of other Jennies as well, mostly by marriage." He replied. Yes, folks, there's boy versions too. The Jennies will take over one day, and I swear they'll wage war against Nurse Joys and destroy the world as we know it. "I hope you've got a keen eye, brother. Because since 3 am, we've surveyed this scene top to bottom, and I still haven't come up with anything; and I've had very little help." He looked out towards the two Jennies that had been hassling random members of the crowd and unintentionally causing even more of a ruckus. I vaguely remember the early days of my youth, before the government stopped using Podedexes as forms of ID. Anyone without a Pokedex was harassed by various members of the law. I've recently come to acknowledge that Jennies in Kanto were just a bit_ brasher_. The Kanto police force on a whole seemed to be a bit incompetent in my opinion.

"Almost twelve hours after the shooting," I began as I looked along the ground surrounding the barricaded perimeter, "And you've got _nothing_?"

"Well, we _did_ manage to get the shell casings from the bullet of the firearm used. From those we were able to see that the weapon was a shotgun, even though it kind of _shows_." I had gotten my first full look at the destroyed face of this young girl. I recalled the smiling face from the picture on television, and compared it to what it had now become. Her eyes had been blown out of their sockets, and her skull had cracked and splintered off into several revolting patterns of blood and ivory, along with around half of her turning green from air exposure. I would have vomited if I hadn't done so after my latest Charizard flight already.

"God_damn_, that's brutal." I had averted my gaze a bit, but John looked on. "I don't know how you can stare at that, man."

"I was actually a biology major in college. A body is a body, blood is blood." He shrugged. "Take a look at this though…" I knelt down next to the body with him. The stench was terrible.

"What is it?" I asked. He pointed to her neck. I studied it for a moment, and then realized what I was looking at. Finger and thumb shaped bruising on her neck, so faint that I wouldn't have caught it without staring either.

"Someone strangled her, _and_ shot her in the face?" I was a bit perplexed at this point, moving things around back and forth in my head.

"The boy doesn't have any similar prints on his neck, just her. It's baffled me all day." He said with a looked of defeat. "It's possible the strangling hadn't succeeded." He offered.

"That doesn't make sense, though," I pondered for a moment, "According to the Officer that found these two bodies, she had watched the kids get off of the train completely fine. She then said she left her post and went to the bathroom after they were out of eyeshot . She then heard shots fired as she washed her hands."

"And?" John asked.

"Have you moved these bodies at all from their original state when found?"

"When I do I put it right back."

"Then, by the looks of the hole in the face, the shot was from behind. The girl got quite a bit farther than the boy managed, so I assume the first shot heard killed the boy, and then there was a bit of a chase in between shots." I paused for breath and John remained silent as he waited for me to carry on. "If the boy doesn't have similar marks on the neck, then it would be very unlikely the shooter would have dropped their gun, caught up with the girl, strangled her, failed, and then picked the gun back up for the finishing blow."

"How can you be sure, merely based on that assumption?" His question was a reasonable one. But then I remembered one detail.

"The Officer I questioned told me she had ran out of the bathroom following the first shot. The second shot occurred 20 seconds later. Unless our guy is the _Flash_, there's no way he could have strangled her in between the two shots."

"You think perhaps she was strangled _on_ the train?"

"If I got strangled on a train and made if off alive, I'd probably talk to the first police officer I saw. That being the Jenny I've been referring to."

"You don't think…" John was starting to connect the dots with me.

"Either this girl got strangled on a train and neglected to alert the cop she made _eye contact_ with as she left the station…" I said, pausing at the end.

"Or the Cop was lying about something…" John finished.

We stood there dumbstruck for a moment before we ran to the Police Department, passing the large crowd of confused onlookers.

END OF CHAPTER 8

O: _SHOCKING! IS OFFICER DOUGLAS THE FEMALE ACCOMPLICE FROM THE PHONE? WHAT ABOUT THE DUMPSTER? AND WHO STRANGLED KRIS? KEEP READING AND FIND OUT!_

_Read and review guys!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Here we go! Starting to wrap things up a bit. I might have one or two chapters after this, then the epilogue. I appreciate all the support so far, and we've finally hit over **900 views**! I urge you to keep reading, as this chapter gets a bit intense. Enjoy~ WARNING: SOME GORE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE, I'll place a warning when it's about to start and end._

**Chapter 9**

Detective John and I had burst through the doors of the Saffron City Police department and caught the attention of most Jennies and the miscellaneous other officers. We needed to see Officer Douglas, _fast_. Hopefully they had still detained her, or she might be a little difficult to find. I asked the help desk Jenny, hopefully she'd give me some answers.

"Gentlemen? You look like you've each seen Ghost Pokémon." The Help Jenny commented, unhelpfully of course.

"Forgive us for our untraditional entrance, miss…" John said as he attempted to catch his breath, "We need to speak to an Officer immediately."

"Well, I _am_ an officer." Again, unhelpful, "How can I help you?"

"A _specific_ officer," I replied, "An Officer Jenny Douglas of the Transit Police. She was here for questioning earlier."

"_Ah_, Officer Douglas was a strange one, though I've never met her prior to today," She tapped her pencil against her lower lip and made condescending sneers at us from behind her little desk that _screamed _false advertising, "She was being released and as she left she received a phone call in that hallway right there," She pointed with the same pencil she had fellated to a hallway behind us, one that connected the main entrance to the interrogation room, "She got all worked up over _something_, and then started _screamin'_ and _yellin'_. Some Officers tried asking her what was wrong, but she just kept saying she had to go and ran out the door." John and I looked at each other worriedly.

"How long ago was this?" John asked quickly.

"Abouttttt… an hour ago, I'd say. Not too soon after _you_ left, Detective Ketchup." She responded, pointed to me. I furrowed a brow and responded sharply:

"It's _Ketchum_. We need to know where she's headed, and she needs to be found, you need to send all cars to find her _now_."

"Who are _you_ to give orders? And on _what_ grounds?" Help Jenny stood up with her arms outstretched, hands gripping the edge of the desk. She looked down at me coldly, casting a shower over my entire body.

"For lying during an interrogation, giving a false alibi," I counted down with my fingers, Help Jenny shrinking back with every example, "aiding and abetting a criminal, accomplice to the murders of Violet and Lilly Waterflower, and either aiding or _causing_ the murders of Ethan and Kris Gold." John nodded, and Jenny stared at me, dumbstruck.

"Uh, anything else?" She asked, blinking.

"She was quite rude, as well." I added.

"Well, those are some _very _severe charges, Detective Johnathon, I assume you've already cleared this with the Captain?" Help Jenny asked, looking at John. He slapped his forehead.

"I _forgot_. It was the spur of the moment," he said embarrassed. I made the mistake myself a few times, but _my_ Commissioner was having none of that and promptly kicked my ass a few times, even after I caught the perp. Mostly slaps in the face and back of the head, along with a _literal_ ass kick once, but _damn_ did that woman have some brick hands. She called it tough-love, I called it PMS.

After John and I spoke with his Commissioner, a Mrs. Captain Jennifer Swalbert, whom preferred her title long and ridiculous, we were given information on Officer Douglas' last known whereabouts. I also informed her of the phone calls from the killer I got, as I'd forgotten before. She screamed at me about withholding evidence, and I apologized sincerely. I was still a little absent minded once and a while. She downloaded the recordings and sent them to be analyzed. I assumed she forgave me, because she gave us a Police Cruiser to tail the suspect with. Other cars were sent to search the rest of the city, but we followed our one and only lead: Officer Douglas was last seen going to…The Golden Nine-tails hotel.

"Oh, _shit_," I said sharply, eyes widening. "_Brock!_"

"Brock?" John asked calmly as he kept his eyes on the road. I saw that his Arceas' Collar necklace had slipped out from behind his undershirt, probably from running, and landed on his shoulder. It twinkled in the sun and reminded me of a song from an old Sunday service from when I was a kid. My mom liked to go to the Arcean Sunday service on Easters and Christmas, though that stopped when I left home at 10 years old. Back then I didn't even know Arceas was actually a Pokémon, I thought he was merely God.

"He's a friend of mine staying at the hotel," I tore my thoughts away from the Arcaen melody, thinking of Brock seeing a pretty Jenny, "If Brock's involved with a Jenny at all, there'll be trouble."

"Is he a criminal?" John asked with a slight twinge of apprehension.

"No, no," I said, waving my hand, "Just has a habit of hitting on women in uniform." We made a left on Mudkip Lane, and headed north up Forrester Rd. Officer Douglas could have gone _anywhere_ by now. The trail was cooling, and getting colder by the minute. "But this time, I'm just afraid he'll hit on the wrong woman." We pulled up behind a car, which had stopped for a red light. Understanding that we had no time, John put the siren on. A loud wailing escaped the top of the vehicle and announced urgency. The car pulled onto the shoulder of the road, and we travelled forward uninterrupted.

"Perhaps you should contact him?" John replied. I raised my eyebrows and gasped when I remembered the note Brock had left me at the hotel. It had his number and to call him if I needed him. I decided to take my phone out and dial his new number. I put it to my ear and waited. It rang twice as we turned down Shawsheen Rd. Once more as we neared the end of it and the hotel was in sight. Finally I heard a click. Hearing no greeting, I spoke.

"Brock? It's Ash, you need to get out of the Hotel, go to Cerulean and stay with Misty at her gym. There's—"

"Ash, Ash, _Ash_. Predictable as ever." A male voice interrupted.

"This isn't Brock." I responded through gritted teeth, in a tone of extreme anger.

"You've gotten a bit smarter! It really has been _so_ long." This voice. I knew this voice. I'd heard it at some point very recently. "Not _that_ much smarter though. You couldn't even see through a forged note!" The voice dripped with sourness. He laughed as he spoke, and I heard feint sobbing in the background. John glanced at me with confusion, but returned to the road as we neared the hotel.

"Where is Brock? Where are you?" I was growing increasingly nervous, but kept my voice steady and tried to remain calm.

"I told you if you didn't end your investigation things would get ugly." My eyes widened as I heard the sobbing in the background grow louder. "The train leaves in ten minutes. I don't have to kill your friend, as he's not my target. I could just let him go."

"But you won't, will you?" I asked sharply.

"If you take his place, then yes." I gritted my teeth again. "Get out of the car now. Alone. No guns." I thought for a minute, trying to gather my thoughts. "The train leaves in three minutes. If you're not on it, you're as much of a murderer as I am." Click. Gone.

"Arceas' light! Was that—" John spoke as I interrupted him.

"That was him. He's got Brock and he's willing to make a trade for him." I gripped the bridge of my nose as John parked in the hotel lot. "He wants me."

"You can't be serious!" John gasped, "We have to call for back up!"

"He said to go alone, or else he'd kill him. I can't have another death on my hands." I said, thinking of the last phone call I'd gotten from the killer.

"So you're just going to go alone? I assume he told you to come unarmed as well?" I nodded, removing the gun hidden in my pants. I placed it on the dash.

"I'm taking Charizard, though. He'll keep me safe." I opened the door and got out. "You investigate the hotel, try to find someone who saw Officer Douglas; I've got to get to the train station in two minutes, can I make it?"

"It's a block down the road, it's incredibly close." He pointed to the North, past the hotel, and it was within my eye-line. "Good luck."

"Have Officers waiting to intercept the train in Goldenrod, okay?" He nodded at my request and I ran off towards the station.

When I got there, it looked as if it were on quarantine. They closed the station at around 5 am this morning, when word got out that the train might be dangerous. The fact that the train was operational, and I heard the hum of it, was incredibly strange. There were no lines of people waiting for their tickets, no one waiting to board, no one departing. The whole thing was surreal. I followed the hum of the train and spotted the vessel awaiting me at the gate. I crossed through the open metal doors that served as the entrance of the train and felt cold steel under my sneakers.

The entire train was barren. The seats and benches were empty, along with the family booths. For a moment, I thought I was on the wrong train, when I realized there was only one. As I entered further, I heard the metal doors closing behind me, and the train started to shake. I stumbled before grabbing a pole, and then I heard the buzz of the intercom.

"This is your conductor speaking," announced the voice of an oafish, burly man. "Prepare for departure." The train pushed forward, and pulled out of the station as I watched the world pass by.

I had tried opening the doors to the other sections of the train, but they were all locked and wouldn't budge. I was given no indication of what to do, so I resigned to pacing back and forth down the aisle. Suddenly, I heard the intercom again. It was the same man, but this time, he sounded much more malicious, oozing evil with every syllable.

**"Detective Ash Ketchum, of the Goldenrod City Police Department. Quite a long title, isn't it?" **A shiver ran down my spine as I listened to the soulless voice drone on. **"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town didn't stick, eh? I suppose a lot of things change, don't they?"**

"Who are you?" I asked with a shout.

**"It is a shame I cannot hear you. I would love to hear your sobs right now. Did you think I wouldn't know you were still snooping? You think I don't have ways of finding things out? I still have your friend, though I had to knock him out—he was making a fuss, you know—But if you want him free, you'll have to do what I tell you."** The liar. I knew he wouldn't just let Brock go. I debated on whether or not I should release Charizard and have him burst through the train. That would just lead to problems, though. I just prayed I didn't have to answer any more riddles. The door leading to the next section of the train opened, and it revealed a Jigglypuff. I raised a brow as the little pink puffball waddled into the cart with a smile on it's face.

"Jiggly!" He cried happily.

**"I told you I would remove your mask,"** The man snarled, **"You hide behind a sense of Justice. You believe your morals to be unshakeable, and you think that you can save everyone."** The Jigglypuff looked up, trying to find the mysterious voice. **"This Jigglypuff has been infected with a _rage_ serum. I got a bit of it from a friend who raided the Silph Co. building for me." **As the voice spoke, I noticed the Jigglypuff had dropped its microphone, and stood staring at me with a blank expression. Its giant eyes had openedas wide as possible, its pupils dilating. **"Soon, it will grow bloodthirsty. It will attempt to kill the first living thing it sees." **It started to foam at the mouth.

"Oh no," I muttered. Jigglypuff started to grow angry, and it balled its fists. It lunged at me and grabbed me around the neck with surprising strength.

**"Your morals will be tested. You will not protect, you will kill and advance. If you do not kill her, she'll kill you. That is a fact. You have to _kill_ her, or she won't stop, _ever_."** I grew cold inside as I grabbed the pink Pokémon and threw her across the train, into a window. **"Once you succeed, you can come for me."**

_(VIOLENCE AND GORE WARNING)_

And there I was. Face to face with a rabid Jigglypuff. Luckily it was too angry to be able to sing, or I'd be dead in seconds.

"Easy little guy, I don't want to hurt you," I said softly, kneeling down a bit. The cute little thing merely hissed at my and used pound on my chest. I coughed up a speck of blood onto the window in front of me and fell backwards. "Shit!" It lunged at me again, this time I grabbed it while it was still in mid-air.

"JIGGLY JIGGLY JIGGLY!" It screamed. "PUFF PUFF PUFF!" It had started throwing quick punches aimed at my face, luckily most of them missed. It was clear what I had to do, though I didn't like it.

"Maybe I can just knock you out!" I said as I rolled over, pinning the Pokémon to the ground. I then punched it hard on the side of the side. It hurt, but it didn't knock Jigglypuff out. She just got angrier.

"JIGGLY!" I yelled as it used rollout to escape, crushing one of my ribs in the process.

"Damn it!" I cried as I held my side. I stood up slowly. I had to end this. When it lunged at me again, I moved out of the way and let her collide with the wall. When she hit her head and fell, I took my opportunity and grabbed the little puffball. "I'm so sorry." I said with a deep sadness. I then raised my fist and turned my head away so I didn't have to watch. I brought my fist down as hard and fast as I could, right into its little face. I felt and heard bones cracking as it cried, and brought my fist up then down once more. This time I heard a squish, and almost puked when I felt wetness. I looked at what I had done, and I nearly passed out.

Before me, lay a dead Jigglypuff. By my hands. Its face was caved in and its bodily fluids leaked from a hole I'd punched in its fragile skull. I started to gently weep. I cried over the body of the life I had taken, feeling emptier and more miserable than ever. "Oh God, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." I repeated this over and over, until I heard the metal doors leading to the next section of the train slide open. I sniffed, wiped my eyes and slowly stood up. I still hadn't fully recovered, but I had to move on, and I had to save Brock.

_(VIOLENCE AND GORE END)_

**"Excellent job," **the voice of the man said with delight. **"I guess you deserve a reward. Would you like to know who I am? Of course you would."** I looked up with interest. **"I'll give you a hint. I kept you from winning the Pokémon League." **No way, I thought. There was no way it could be…Tobias?

I entered into the next section of the train. The section after this one was the cockpit of the train. As I walked deeper, we passed through a tunnel, turning on the darkness, save a few quick passing lights. Just then I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID, it was John. We had exchanged numbers in the police station. I answered it as I edged forward in the darkness.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Ash?" John called out urgently, "Ash, are you okay?"

"I'm…fine," I said, neglecting to mention the Jigglypuff. "What's going on?"

"I've found Officer Douglas, she was hiding in the basement, crying."

"Okay, and?" I asked, keeping my voice low still.

"She keeps saying she didn't do anything," He said with exasperation, "She keeps saying _they_ made her do it."

"Who?" I asked.

"She wouldn't say. But my Commissioner just called and they've anal—yzed—the recordi—your pho—it—the," Damn tunnel was killing the reception. "-Hello?" Click. Now he was gone as well. I looked at my bars, there were none.

"Damn it," I muttered. "Hello?!" I called out, blinded by darkness. Suddenly, a leg jetted out in front of me as I walked, and I tripped over it landing face first. "Ow!" I cried.

"Woops! Sorry~" A woman spoke softly. She had a childish inflection, and she was definitely not sorry.

"Who's there?" I called out, backing up while still on the ground.

"Why, Detective Ketchum! I would have thought you'd recognize _my_ voice! After all it was fairly recent that we met." I thought long and hard. I was rewarded with a glimpse of her as a passing light shined onto her. She was wearing some type of uniform. Behind her was a shorter creature, wearing a similar uniform.

"Carol." I spoke venomously.

"Ding Ding Ding!" She sang.

"Chop!" Her Machop called out.

"You were the woman on the phone. Who told me the answer to the Cubone riddle," Carol nodded, smiling. I only saw because we had just exited the tunnel. Her eyes showed no innocence as they did before, and her grin was as evil as any of the gangbangers and crack heads hassling kids for money that I was used to taking in. "Why?" She stepped closer to me, as I backed up, edging towards the other side of the cart. She kept smiling.

"Because I was unhappy. Now I'm not." Was her cryptic answer.

"What?"

"I've always been…different." She said, closing in on me, "Ever since I was a kid, I've let people walk all over me. Yes ma'am, sorry sir." She stopped, and looked out the window of the train. "I was raped when I was 14." Machop looked up at its sullen master with sadness, "I had never refused what someone had told me. When I finally grew the courage…" She looked back at me, "After he pulled out and rolled over, falling asleep, I lied there with my thoughts. That was when I took off my own mask."

"Carol…"

"I killed him before he even woke up. I concluded that people were monsters." She said, interrupting me as she started to walk towards me again. "People are horrible monsters who will step on anyone beneath them if it helps them advance. So, naturally when the police came looking for me, I ran. I ran from town to town, eventually taking the Magnet here to Kanto. That's when I met…him." She looked past me, at the cockpit. "He showed me how to vent my frustrations and cover my tracks. He taught me to kill, and in return, I'd protect him. I'd help him feed, and I'd take the fall if he ever got caught. He was the only person who ever showed me kindness. I love him."

"Who, Carol?" I had backed into the closed metal door, and Carol had finally stood inches from my face. She grinned evilly, and I felt her breath in my eyes. "Is his name Tobias?" She continued to grin, and then shook her head.

"It is not." She hissed. I stuck a hand behind my back, reaching for Charizard's ball.

"Who then?" I gripped the ball tightly, getting ready to release.

She edged even closer, putting her hand on my chest. She leaned in near my ear and whispered:

_"Stephan_._" _My eyes widened as I remembered Unova. "He says he used to be _good friends_ with you." I shuddered and then grew angry. I had just murdered, I had just discovered that the killers had been under my nose this entire time, and Brock was still in trouble.

**End of Chapter 9**


	10. Chapter 10

_Here we go, folks! The Climax! I appreciate the over __**1,050 **__views the story has gotten so far! LOVE YOU ALL HERE WE GO!_

**Chapter 10**

"Get away from me!" I yelled as I pushed Carol as hard as I could. Her petite frame fell against the floor with a thud. I pulled Charizard's Pokeball from my belt. Releasing him from his capsule, he roared and shook the entire train with his weight. Just then, the intercom buzzed once more.

**"It looks like things are ****_heating_**** up," **Stephan said evilly with a chuckle, **"I was going to just let Carol have Machop beat you to a bloody pulp, but maybe a battle is more appropriate for the occasion."** I lowered my eyebrows and frowned. I hadn't battled for at least half a decade.

"Aw," Carol teased, "What's the matter Ash? All washed up?"

"Excuse me?" I growled.

"Stephan told me all about you. You were a failure as a trainer." Carol smiled and Charizard growled at her Machop. "Said he beat you senseless in the Unova League." That was when the memories came back. The repressed, horrible memories:

After Tobias beat me in the Lilly of the Valley Conference, my world was turned upside-down. Then Brock stopped travelling with me. Without Misty, or Brock, hell, even Max, May and Dawn, things were just too weird. Brock was my last connection to Kanto, and actually a major source of my confidence in those days. When I got to Unova, I felt as if I had lost all my battling experience. I forgot things a rookie trainer learns his first day, and I was chided by a young girl. I started traveling with Iris, a girl whom I never really connected with, and Cilan, whom I did actually like. He was an even better cook than Brock. I built up my army of Unova Pokemon, and soon I was in the Unova League.

I thought to myself: if I could beat a lengendary last time, this would be a piece of cake.

And then I lost to Stephan, a fat, dumb, clumsy oaf who got angry when people mispronounced his name. That was when I officially gave up battling.

"I still don't understand," I said through gritted teeth, holding the throbbing pain in my side, "Why murder the Sensational Sisters? Why the kids? What did they do?"

"Oh, Violet and Lilly were my idea. They always came to the hotel with to _party_ and leave a mess. Drugs, alcohol, chips everywhere…" She put her hands on her hips as she spoke. I had never known the Sensational Sisters to drink or do drugs. "One weekend when they were partying in one of the suites, I was invited up to the room. Violet, Lilly and Daisy, along with ten or fifteen other guests, were all coked up out of their minds. I could tell Daisy was the worst. She was also holding a bottle of vodka. They told me to come in, and I did, hesitantly. I then remember being handed a drink. I drank it and blacked out."

"Let me guess, you were _raped_ again?" I asked with scorn. Carol looked at me with hatred, for the first time ever actually. Her smile had turned upside down, and her eyes flashed with anger.

"Apparently some of the guests thought I was cute, and the girls had told them I was their friend and they would get me up there for more coke. They roofied me, and then had their way with me. It's like I'm some kind of rape magnet, huh?" She paused for a moment and we looked at eachother. "Machop!" She screamed, "Kill his Charizard, and then kill him! Crosschop!"

"Chop!" it cried as it leapt towards Charizard with lightning speed.

"Use Smokescreen, Charizard!" Charizard nodded and exhaled a thick fog that soon enveloped the train, leaving everything hidden. "I feel sorry for you, Carol." I called out through the haze, "You're an incredibly weak person. You lack any spine whatsoever, and for that you've suffered a lot."

"Excuse me?" She asked angrily.

"But you can't just relay your suffering onto other people! Flamethrower, Charizard!" I yelled.

"CHARRRRR!" Charizard cried as a wave of fire erupted from his mouth. It knocked back the fog and made contact with Machop, whom let out a wail.

"Maaaaa!" it cried, sounding as if it had called out for its mother.

"I feel pain, therefore the _WORLD_ should feel that pain!" Carol cried. "GET UP MACHOP!"

"Chaaa…" Machop cried as it slowly got to its feet. "Chop."

"Use Superpower, NOW!" Carol screamed. Machop then proceeded to glow with energy. He then called channeled it into its hands, calling forth an incredible blast aimed at Charizard. It made contact, and Charizard's right shoulder was shattered. Machop was using lethal force.

"Charizard!" I cried, running towards it. "Are you okay?!" Charizard held his shoulder and grunted. He shut his eyes and winced from pain. He then opened one eye and looked at Machop's tired, but smiling face.

"Charrr…" Charizard pushed me out of his way and steadied himself, trying to push off the pain. He then readied himself, and ran towards Machop like a tank. The two engaged in an arm lock, trying to each push the other backwards. Their strength was evenly matched, and I was unsure of what was going to happen.

"Charizard, use flamethrower! You're right in its face!" I called out. Then I was surprised.

"CHAR!" He yelled back, shaking his head. It had refused. He was still disobedient every once in a while.

"You're Charizard doesn't even listen to you?" Carol chided, "He must know what a loser you are as well." I gritted my teeth and grew red.

"Shut up!" I cried out. "Charizard…" I watched the two struggle, each trying to overpower the other. This was a battle of pure strength, each testing the others limits. Two very competitive Pokémon, and if the situation were different, they'd probably have been friends. Just then, Charizard's eyes started to glow, and its mouth opened, revealing a growing blue ball of fire. It was going to use Dragon Rage. I didn't even know he possessed this attack.

"What?!" Carol cried, "Machop, quick! Use low sweep!"

But Machop was too late. It soon found itself engulfed in a blue blast of intense flames. My eyes widened as I realized that could have been a lethal blow as well.

"Charizard! Don't kill it!" I cried. Charizard kept blasting it as Carol screamed, along with her Machop.

But Charizard kept blasting away, until Machop fell to the floor, a darkened corpse. Charizard then stood triumphant over the fallen fighter.

"M-Ma…chop?" Carol uttered hopelessly, walking slowly towards the little burnt Machop. "Y-you killed him…Stephan never said.. he didn't…no." She fell to her knees and cried over the body. I almost pitied her, but not nearly as much as I pitied Machop. It wasn't his fault he was bad. He didn't deserve this trainer or this life.

"I'm sorry Carol, there wasn't any other choice…" I said bluntly. "I hope now you see that what you were doing was wrong…" I looked at Charizard, whom didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Even after a killing.

Carol looked back up at me, tears falling down her face. The weird thing was: She was smiling. The large toothy grin combined with the watery bloodshot eyes had been burned into my brain forever after that.

"This isn't over." Carol said.

"I know it's not,"-I put my hand on Charizard's back for balance-"Not until I deal with Stephan."

I tried opening the door, but it was still locked.

"We're not done." She said.

"Oh yes we are." I disagreed. "STEPHAN! LET ME IN!" Just then, the intercom buzzed once more.

Carol stood up, stepping over the corpse of her former friend.

"You won't stop us Ketchum. You're a failure," She said, walking towards me. "We'll kill you, cover our tracks and then move on to bigger fish."

"You idiot! You're already done!" I yelled out, "There'll be police waiting to intercept the train once we get to Johto."

"We thought you'd pull a trick like that. Which is why we've gotten a little _savvy_." She responded.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"In time…" She said as she neared closer. Charizard grew angry and charged at her. She turned to face him and pulled a syringe out from her back pocket. It was filled with a blue liquid, and as Charizard couldn't stop, Carol merely stepped from the side and stuck Charizard in the neck with it. Charizard crashed into the wall and his pupils grew dilated.

"Charizard!" I called out, as he crashed to the ground, emotionless. "What did you do!?"

"Paralysis formula. Courtesy of Silph Co. Officer Douglas sure made a good patsy." She smiled.

"So she was your scapegoat, is that it?" I asked angrily.

"She was part three of the plan. I would kidnap, Stephan would kill and Douglas would be body remover/all around patsy. It was all going great, until Douglas _fucked_ everything up. Now we have to relocate and rebuild our operation from the ground up."

"The kids…" I muttered.

"The kids got off of the train in time, the girl almost getting a perfect choke death. Douglas noticed them running a little too late, and they were out on the street. So that _idiot_ chases the kids with a shotgun and blows up the entire spot." She said, nearing me with the syringe.

"You're not going to get away with this." I said.

"You're the only one who could stop us…" She said, "And now, you're going to be dealt with." I wasn't going down without a fight.

Time for some good, old fashioned police brutality.

I ran at her, despite the pain in my ribs and head. "I won't let you!" I yelled confidently. She swiped at me with the syringe, but I ducked out of the way just in time, clotheslining her stomach as I ran past.

"Oof!" She gasped, falling to the ground. Before she could get up, I kicked the syringe away from her hand and ran towards it, picking it up before she even knew. "Idiot…"

"You're the idiot," I said, "The abused became the abuser. Tell me, did it feel good? Hurting others the way you were hurt?"

"Of _course_ it did." She spat back, "Pain is the only thing that's _real_. Pain and suffering. Happiness lasts but a moment. Now pain…sadness…suffering…I can make people feel that _forever_. Just like me." She tried pushing herself up. Before she could, however, I pushed the needle of the syringe into her back. "NO!" She cried out.

"Not sure how long this paralysis will last, but I'm sure by the time you come to, you'll be in a prison cell." I said, standing up, looking down at the former Hotel Attendant, "Or on your way to one, rather."

"You son of a bitch…" She hissed through clenched teeth. Soon, her extremities gave out and she fell back to the floor like a dead fish. "NNnn…"

I turned away from her, good riddance I thought. I looked towards the door that separated me from the man himself, Stephan. I then looked towards my Charizard. Luckily, I had a spare Paralyze Heal that I picked up from the shop. I applied it to Charizard, and it took a moment, but he started moving again.

"Charrrrr…" He groaned, feeling his arms and legs again. He stretched his wings for a moment as well.

"You did good, buddy. Go inside your Pokeball, I'll let you know if I need you." I said. Charizard nodded and disappeared in the red beam of light into his ball.

**"Quite a fuss you're making. Tell me, do you feel good?" **Stephan's devilish voice hissed. **"Do you feel like you ****_accomplished _****something?"**

"Face me, you bastard!" I shouted, pounding on the cold, hard steel door that separated us.

**"Woah there, not so fast; Unless you want your friend here to lose their life. Well…what do you think?" **I heard the microphone shift.

_"Ash, you have to get ou—" _Brock tried telling me something but then grunted, obviously in pain.

**"Hush, musn't spoil anything, Brocky boy!" **The doors slid open, revealing an elderly Sawk Pokémon. It stood before me, looking the same as it did over a decade ago. But with withered lines in its blue, rocky face. He bowed to me. Still honorable as ever. **"Sawk here, apparently doesn't believe in my abilities. He thinks what we do is wrong. But, being ever loyal, refuses to leave me. He means you no harm."**

He looked at me intensely. I felt as though he pitied me.

**"He is however ready to defend me, should you try to hurt me. You will follow MY directions specifically. Move forward."**

I furrowed my brow and grew angry again. But I pressed onward, Sawk stepping out of my way and following me from behind. I was escorted for a few feet through a hallway about the size of a closet, and then into the cockpit. It was dimly lit, except for all the glowing buttons and levers. There was also a big computer screen in the middle of the control panel. Next to the control panel was Brock, whom was gagged and frantically struggling to get out of his bonds. He also sported a rather large bleeding gash on his forehead, with several scratches and rips in his clothing. Other than that, the room was completely empty. I ran over to Brock. Surrounding Brock were hundreds of pebbles and slightly larger rocks.

"Holy Shit, Brock!" I cried out, as I removed Brock's gag and struggled to undo his bonds. "Don't worry, Brock I'll get you out? Where's Stephan?" I asked.

"Ash! Stephan's not here!" Brock said. I looked at him wide eyed, then turned around to face Throh.

He changed, his blue skin turning purple, then a light magenta, and then pink. His hard outer body morphed into that of a gooey substance, and his wrinkled face turned into that of a smooth, dopey Ditto. Ditto smiled innocently at me as it slipped through the cracks of the floor and into nothingness.

"What the fuck!" I called out.

"I got dragged in here with the promise of a romantic getaway from Carol! I had no idea she was…oh God…" Brock started to sob.

"It's okay Brock…" I said.

"Then Throh, er…_Ditto_ in disguise holds me hostage in here." Brock said.

"Where's _Stephan_?" I asked desperately. Brock doesn't know. "He was here when I got here, I swear I saw him for a moment, but they knocked me out."

**"Looking for me?" **Called out Stephan's malicious voice. I looked to the control panel, where the voice came from. It showed a video feed: an extreme close up of Stephan's disgusting mouth, flickering with feedback every once in a while. I hovered over the screen immediately.

"Stephan! How many more twists will there _be_? I mean, really," I said.

**"A few, I'm afraid. Well, maybe." **His lips spoke, **"Maybe just ****_one_**** more, technically. Shall I give it away? Or have you forgotten already, Brock?"**

I looked at Brock suspiciously. He blinked.

"I have no idea!" He cried out. We both looked back at the control panel. There seemed to be a blood splattered, caved in section I didn't notice before, to the left of the screen.

**"Actually, it's normal that you're feeling some memory loss," **Stephan said, **"After all, it was ****_your_**** skull that demolished the brakes. I did the emergency break myself, using your Geodude."**

We both looked down at the rocks that surrounded us. Brock started to cry as he remembered, and I almost puked again.

"You're a psychopath." I said, looking at Stephan's smiling mouth on the screen. "Why are you doing this?"

**"You and I are a lot alike, Mr. Ketchum." **He stated. **"You never made any headway as a trainer. I accomplished only slightly more. But like you, I faded into obscurity. You and I both walked the same path. You merely went left, where as I went right."**

"What are you even saying?" I asked with anger.

**"You should be in Johto in about, oh, 8 or 9 minutes. Happy impact, boys."** The feed was cut.

"Shit! What do we do? Ash?" Brock asked nervously. I thought for a moment.

"Follow me!" I said. We ran to the train car before the cockpit. I asked Brock if he had the strength to carry Carol's body. He tried and, despite her deadweight, managed to sling her over his shoulder. We then ran to the car before that one, and I looked down at the Jiggly-Puff I had killed. I nearly lost it, looking at it again. I scooped the remains up in my arms.

"What the hell?" Brock asked.

"Later." I said, releasing Charizard from his Pokeball.

"Charrr." He said.

"Charizard, I need you to melt a hole in the top of the train, for us to get through." I asked.

Charizard looked up, and obeying orders, blew a large hole in the roof. We then piled onto his back, causing him slight discomfort I'd imagine.

"Can you get us in the air, buddy?" I asked. Hesitantly, Charizard nodded. Using up all his strength, he managed to lift us up, out of the train. We hovered over it as it darted through the country side, towards the Goldenrod City…Oh no.

"Shit!" I cried out. "We've got to stop that train! It's going to crash into the station!"

"Oh no!" Brock said, "How?"

"Do you have any Pokemon on you?" I asked quickly, as Charizard sped over the train.

"I had two, but now…Just one." He said quietly, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out an old looking Pokeball. "Have Charizard pass the train, try to get as much of a distance between us as possible, while still being a good distance away from the station!"

"Think you can do that?" I asked Charizard, whom was pushing himself to carry all of us as it stood. He nodded, despite himself.

We caught up with the cockpit, soon passing it as Charizard pushed with all his might. Further, further, further still we chugged.

"A little more!" Brock begged. Charizard started to swerve slightly.

"I think that's all he's got Brock, this'll have to do!" I said. Brock nodded, and released his Pokemon along the path. The red beam of light produced one of the largest creatures I've seen, easily the size of two Pokemarts stacked on top of each other.

"Go, Steelix!" Brock called out, "Use harden as much as possible before the train hits you! Then try to push it back!"

"STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!" Steelix roared, flashing about ten times, using it's harden. Most Steelix topped off at about 30 feet. Due to what I assume is _amazing care and health_ plus a wonderful diet, this steelix was double that. Additionally, an adult Steelix weighs about 880-900 lbs. This one I'd assume was _triple_ that. Using harden only added to its density. Or its mass. I wasn't entirely sure how that particular attack broke the laws of physics.

Once the train made contact, Steelix was knocked back from the impact but..ahem…_steeled _himself and pushed forward with fervor. I felt I should help, watching him struggle.

"One more favor Charizard, then I _promise_ you I will cook you a _feast_." I said.

Charizard grunted.

"Can you fly down next to the train, and try to melt the wheels to the tracks?" I asked. Charizard snorted some smoke, and with its last bit of strength, descended to the tracks and used Flamethrower on the wheels, melting them _very_ slowly.

We were starting to pass the last couple of trees before the city limits, not too far from us. The city was rushing towards us at a frightening speed. The wheels weren't melting fast enough, due to Charizard's low strength probably, and Steelix was still slightly outweighed by the train.

"Steelix!" Brock called out, leaning upwards, "Use _dig_! Try to bury the train in a tunnel!" Stellix grunted and dove into the ground directly in front of the train. He dug a tunnel perfectly fitting the train, which sunk into the Earth and followed him from behind. Charizard flew upwards, avoiding the hole. We hovered there above the hole, watching it with wide eyes. We waited for something, we weren't sure what.

Seconds added up to minutes, and surely there were only three of them, but they were very, _very,_ long minutes. The tunnel lit up with flames and roared thunderously, calling out **KABOOM**. Trees shook, some fell over, and many flowers were blown out of the ground. The fire warmed my face.

"STEELIX!" I heard Brock cry out. "NO!"

We watched the flames build up, smoke billowing. The fog blocked Goldenrod from view, and proceeded to build up above us. A second explosion followed, taking with it the remains of the Earth that cover the underground trail. The metal of the train was visible, detached and melting. The machine lay in a gorey heap, pressed against itself as it sat destroyed, impaled against several stones.

The flames built up, evermore. Ash danced down from the heavens, and weighted down our already sunken shoulders.

The clouds came, and soon erased all traces of fire with its calming solution. Rain soon pelted down on the world, and we descended. Calling out for his Monster, nay, _friend_, Brock fell to his knees and wept.

Money could only buy so much, he cried out, pounding on the dark, wet grass. I walked over to him and tried to help him up, but he shook me off.

I looked up, and watched the flames dying down. The sky had darkened considerably, and black clouds hovered over us. I sat down next to Brock's fallen form, keeping Jiggly-Puff's remains in my lap. Charizard fell to the ground, finally spent. Carol's body tumbled off of him next to me. Her sleeping form lay innocently before me, her young face hiding the pure evil in her soul. I could have killed her there, but then we couldn't get to Stephan.

I dialed for Commissioner Jenny; _My_ Commissioner Jenny, from Goldenrod. I'd told her to follow the smoke, and then hung up.

The red and blue lights tore through the dense fog, and the sirens, promising security and justice, were like sweet candy.

Then I whited out.

.

.

..

..

…

….

…

...

..

..

.

.._Ash?_

"Yes Mom?" I said.

_Would you like to hear a story about your father?_

"I love stories about dad!" Was my immediate response.

_He was a great trainer. So confident and strong. He caught lots of strong Pokemon._

"Is Dad still a strong Trainer?" I asked, looking into where I thought my mom's eyes were. A black mist never looked so familiar.

_Maybe someday you'll battle him, and beat him!_

"I should be a trainer?"

_Your father would be so proud._

"Will daddy be home for Christmas?" I asked, tugging at her dress.

_Daddy said next time_, _dear. Go help Professor Oak._

"Tell me more about training?" I asked.

_It'll make your dad proud. You'll be the best. You'll show this town._

"Gary called me a bastard. What's that Mom?"

_Gary's just your rival, dear. I don't know why he would say that._

"I lost the Indigo Plateau… Is Dad disappointed?" I asked, slightly older.

_Your Father never wanted you to give up. _

"Mom! I won the Orange Island's league!" I cried out in happiness.

_That's great dear._

"Is Dad proud?" I asked. She laughed.

_Aha, yes, he's so happy that he forgot this week's check as well. That jerk. Shouldn't you be in School?_

"Mom? Maybe I'll see Dad in Johto. Don't call him names."

_Ash, please don't go, you need to come back home._

"Seeya Mom!"

_Ash, please._

"Hey Mom, tough luck with the Johto League, still no sign of dad!" I said quietly. "Where is he?" My mom turned away.

_Ash._

"Mom, is Dad going to see me off when I leave for Hoenn?"

_He's going to die._

"What? Mom? I'm leaving for Sinnoh!"

_Please don't die_.

"I'm going to try one more time mom…I know I probably won't see Dad, though. I'll win this won for him, even if he doesn't love me."

_Please wake up…please…_

**"CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"**

I was ripped out of my kitchen, brought back to reality by a surge of electricity. It got my heart pumping normally, and I heart the steady ping of a heart moniter. My vision sharpened before me, and I was greeted by a sea of relieved faces. I looked to my left and there was Brock, lying in a hospital bed, looking back at me with a relieved smile. I then looked into the wet eyes of my Pikachu, whom nuzzled my nose. I tried to move, but my body said no and kept me pinned to my bed.

"Don't move, sir, please." A male Doctor said, looking over me with a chart. I had assumed I'd see Nurse Joy, being in a hospital. I then remembered we had people Hospitals in this nutty world of ours as well.

In the sea of concerned faces, I saw Misty, Daisy, _My_ Commissioner Jenny, Detective John from Saffron, Tracey, Oak and Delia, my mother. I looked them over again.

My mother was crying, almost unable to look at me. It must be hard, not seeing your son since the Summer, and here I am in November, hooked up to life support.

Professor Oak had grown tired, and sat in a Wheelchair in front of my mother. Most of his hair had fallen out, and his face sported many more wrinkles, mostly due to stressing over his research I'd imagine. His face still held the hardened wisdom it always had, though.

Tracey had obviously accompanied Oak. He was still Oak's live-in assistant, and even now I questioned the nature of the relationship.

Detective John looked at me with the stare he gave the child in Saffron. A look of confusion, with a hint of pity. He nodded at me, his Arcaes' Collar glinting from the light hitting his chest. "You were in my prayers, Ash."

Daisy had walked over to pick up Pikachu off of my chest. Even though he weighed very little, he felt as if he'd weighed a ton right now. I thanked Daisy, whom nodded with a smile.

Commissioner Jenny and Misty looked down at me together. Both of them had obviously been crying, as they both sported red, puffy eyes.

"Welcome back," Jenny said, looking at me proudly, but with a slight sadness. "You did good work, Detective."

"Agreed," Misty said softly, "And you stopped the train."

I groaned and collected myself.

"What?" I asked, completely confused. "What the hell are you guys talking about?"

Everyone looked at me with surprised faces, including Brock.

"You're serious?" The Former Rock Themed Gym-Leader asked me with doubt. I nodded, and everyone fell to the floor with a groan.

"It's…not too strange that Ash is suffering from some memory loss," The Doctor said. "He should regain his memories soon enough."

"Uhh.." I asked, "Could someone fill me in? Last thing I remember was riding Charizard…Oh God, is he okay?" I asked worriedly. The Doctor nodded.

"Your Pokémon were safely transported to the Pokémon Center." He replied.

"Wait…what about…" I started, Brock interrupted me.

"Steelix?" He asked. I nodded curiously. "Steelix was pretty deep in the ground. It took a couple dozen Dugtrio to dig him out. But he's alright, thank goodness." A wave passed through my chest as I heard this. The day had enough death, it didn't need more. At that moment my memories came flooding back.

"Oh God…" I said quietly.

"Do you remember now, Ash?" Misty asked, wiping my sweaty forehead with a cloth.

"S-Stephan…" I muttered hesitantly. The room fell quiet and heavy. "He's still out there."

Jenny stepped up.

"Caroline Clementine and Officer Jenny Douglas have been detained. They'll lead us to Stephan." Commissioner said sternly. "He's on the run, with everyone keeping their eyes out for him." I found it amusing that such an evil woman was named _Caroline Clementine_. It seemed her entire identity had been constructed to hide the true demon inside of her. Even with her and the Transit Officer in custody, it bothered me that Stephan was still on the loose; free to cause misery wherever he went.

"That's not enough…" I whispered through halted breaths. "We need to find him."

"Officer Douglas is willing to sing like the choir," Jenny said softly, "The girl is being pretty tightlipped, but it won't last."

I tilted my head back, looking up at the white ceiling. The bright, luminescent lights hurt my eyes, but I looked at them until my eyes forced themselves shut, and I saw a blend of warm orange and red. My body had felt like it was on fire for a moment, a surge of heat travelling through my body starting from my head and ending at the tips of my toes. I opened my eyes and looked towards my mother.

We held each other's gaze for several seconds.

"I'd like a moment with my son," Delia asked, "Please." Oak, Tracy and Detective John nodded and made their way out of the room, Tracey pushing Oak's wheelchair. The Doctor stayed put. The Commissioner looked down at me and winked.

"I gotta get back to the office to sort out the mess you made," Jenny said with a smile, "I'll bring back some donuts."

"A Cop's favorite," I said with a smile. She chuckled as she walked out, hips swaying the way they always did.

Last was Misty and Daisy. Misty had knelt down to hug me, whispering to me that she was glad I was okay. Daisy waited for her sister and then released my Pikachu, whom jumped to my side. Daisy smiled at me, and then escorted Misty out of the room.

My mother slowly walked towards me.

"Mom," I said quietly, after a deafening silence. "Good to see you."

She stayed quiet, forcing back the tears. I grew uneasy with her lack of vocalization. She sat down on a chair next to my bed. I tore my eyes off of her for a moment to look at the forgotten Brock. Fast asleep.

I looked back at my mom.

"Mom, I—"

"Shut up," Delia said coldly. My heart monitor sped up in tempo for a moment. "Just, be quiet for a minute." I did. I spoke not a word for five whole minutes before she came back to me. "You put me through _way_ too much drama."

"I know, Mom." I mumbled awkwardly. "It's…part of the job."

"I know, and I'm glad you took up such a noble profession, it's just…" She started to gently cry again, "I just wish you didn't constantly put yourself in harm's way. I can't lose you, too." There was a silence again, not taking the sniffling into account.

"How'd all of you get here?" I asked.

"You'd been out for a whole day. We flew in yesterday afternoon." She said.

"Geez.." I said, looking out the window. The skies were dark, and the city lights were clear and bright.

"You know," Delia began. "Despite the circumstances, I _do_ believe your father would have been proud. I know _I_ am." Delia smiled down at me.

"Mom…" I said softly, cringing from the pain in my side, "Dad's not here. I don't care what he thinks." Delia looked surprised. "I'm glad you're here though. I missed you." She smiled again, new tears forming in her eyes.

"You really should come by more often." She whispered through sobs.

"I will…" I said. "I will."

I again fell into a slumber.

**END OF CHAPTER 10**

_WOO! Thank you all so much for reading. This will be the last numbered chapter in Book One, coming next is the epilogue. I appreciate the feedback and viewership more than you could know, and I do hope that people like my story enough to possibly warrant a sequel, for which there are many ideas. Please stay tuned for the conclusion!_


	11. Epilogue

_MatchesMassa: We're finally here! The last chapter of Book One! This was a long time coming, and I apologize for all the delays. I'd like to thank: __image of nothing__, __yamashishi_ _, Delibird, and __XxKittyCaitxX_ _for their reviews on my story, it really meant a lot, you guys. To the others whom have also favourited and followed this piece, thanks also, sorry I couldn''t list you all here, but consider this finally released chapter a gift to you all. Please, enjoy:_

**Epilogue**

During my stay with Brock in the hospital, I had missed the funeral of Violet and Lilly Waterflower. Misty understood, at least I hoped. I was told that the service was lovely, though I'm sure that was just a polite way of saying 'The dead bodies were gently laid to rest'. Funerals are never "lovely".

No new clues had sprung up about the whereabouts of Stephan. Carol was being tight-lipped, and Officer Douglas seemed to genuinely not know at all. All leads that were found ended up being dead ends.

On the Monday after the funeral, an old man was found dead outside of the city limits. He was in an abandoned shack a few miles East of the train wreck that had taken up most of the view of the landscape. I concluded that the man was the one I talked to on the phone, who spoke for Stephan. His name was Jamison Henry, and he was just an innocent old man whom happened to let a stranger into his home.

The train still sat there in a hole, penetrating the once beautiful stretch of land. The Magnet train would be out of commision for a while, and it seemed people would have to rely on ferries, like back in the old days. Or fly, but that took a lot of energy for a Pokemon to fly country to country.

I sat up in my hospital bed, which was slanted so I could sit comfortably. I flipped through the ten channels that the hospital provided on the tiny television mounted to the wall. I tried to avoid the news. Nothing but reporters lambasting the police department for their supposed failure in apprehending a serial killer. They all conveniently glossed over the fact that two serious conspirators were caught, but I assumed that would all change when the trials came about, and the race for coverage would commence.

"Hey, Ash?" Brock said, whom sat in the next bed over to my left.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I never got to thank you for saving me," He said.

"You don't have to thank me for that, it's my job. And even if it weren't-"

"No," Brock sat up and turned slightly to look at me. I saw him wince in pain from this action, "If it weren't for you, I would be dead. I'd be lying in a coffin next to Misty's sisters,"

"Brock..." I said.

"Before you came, I honestly thought..." I saw tears building up in the corners of Brock's eyes, "I didn't think you would come. I was so scared."

"..." I stayed silent, looking away awkwardly at the clock.

"We got into a lot of dangerous situations when we were kids," Brock shifted back into his more comfortable position, lying his head on the pillow, "But nobody out and out tried to _kill_ us. When the blood leaked down my forehead and into my eyes... I thought it was over. I almost gave up, closed my eyes and _allowed_ myself to die."

"Brock, don't say things like that," I said, looking back at him sharply.

"It's true. Sure, I screamed. Hell, I went hoarse screaming," I saw his already closed eyes squint in frustration even more, if that were possible, "And as I yelled, Carol stood there, looking down at me. And she _laughed._ I didn't think anyone was coming for me."

I was still at a loss for words. I resigned myself to lying back onto my pillow. Brock did the same, and eventually, he finished his speech with a "thank you." and an "I owe you my life." I waved it off and told him it was no problem.

"What are you going to do now?" Brock asked. "After you get out of this room, I mean."

"What day is it?" I asked.

"Tuesday, I think. I might have brain damage, though, so you may want to ask someone else, buuut... I'm pretty sure it's Tuesday."

"Tuesdsay, huh?" I looked up at the ceiling. I had two more days until my vacation was up. I had relatively minor injuries, so I'd feel like a jerk-off if I went off on worker's comp. "I think...I'm going to ask Misty out to dinner."

"Uh..." Brock looked apprehensive.

"Uh? What's uh?" I asked.

"Don't you know?" Brock asked.

"Know what?"

"Misty's engaged. Some guy named Neil who works for her popped the question a couple of months ago." That was the bomb that I had dropped on me. My eyes went wide and I felt a literal crack in my chest.

"She's getting _married_?" I asked. "Holy shit..."

"Yeah," Brock said with a slight pitying tone, "Remember that guy at the press conference? The one that ran after Misty when she broke down? That was him."

"Oh..." I looked back up at the ceiling, regretting the six years I didn't speak to her. I had missed so much, including my chance. I then realized I hadn't drank since my first night in the hotel, and I was starting to crave a glass right now. "Tell me he's a dick." Brock laughed, but coughed soon after.

"He's actually a really nice guy. I think you'd actually like him." Brock said quietly. "But if it helps you, he's kind of a wuss."

"Oh?" I asked with genuine interest, "Go on."

"I don't know, he just seems kind of lame. He's nice, but he's kind of _too_ nice."

"Perfect for Misty then." I said, "We'd just argue everyday." We both quietly laughed.

"I heard that."

The next day, I was discharged from the hospital. I walked out the door with relatively few bandages. My buddy Pikachu was back on my shoulder, well, my _good_ shoulder, and despite that bit of disappointing news about Misty, I was in relatively good spirits. But, to my non-surprise, the paparazzi were waiting for me outside.

Blinding flashes of cameras and overwhelming chatter of reporters had certainly annoyed me, especially just getting out of the hospital. I had to restrain Pikachu from electrocuting them all then and there.

"Detective Ketchum how do you feel about not catching Stephan?" One reporter asked.

"Detective! Do you believe you could have done anything more efficiently?" Another asked.

"Sir, sir! Favorite color, what is it!?" Arceas help me, I wanted to run away. My high spirits were flushed right back down the toilet.

"Yellow." I said, before pushing myself through the crowd. I didn't bother hiding my face.

I spent the rest of the day drinking myself into a stupor back in the hotel room.

I woke up at around 8 PM, splashes of dried whiskey coating my cheeks. I then realized I was on the floor. Pushing myself up carefully, I tripped and fell on my way to the bathroom. As I walked in to piss, trying my hardest to make it into the toilet, I heard a knocking on my door.

"Who is it?" I yelled from the bathroom.

"It's me, Ash!" Said a familiar woman's voice. I blinked in confusion. I was still quite drunk.

"But..." I said quietly to myself, "But, I'M Ash!" I called out again. I zipped up my fly and flushed the toilet before walking to the door.

"Oh no," I heard from the other side of the door. "He's drunk again."

"Again?" Asked another woman's voice, "Does he...drink a lot?" After that I heard nothing but silence.

"I'm coming!" I said as I twisted the knob. On the other side of the door was Commissioner Jenny and Misty, looking back at my with cocked eyebrows.

"Heyyyy guys! Come on in!" I slurred.

"Holy shit," Misty said, blocking her nose. "It's like the smell just _wafted_ in when you opened the door."

"At least his pants are on," Jenny sighed.

"Heyyy now...I'm not as think as you drunk I am," I said eloquently.

"...Right," replied Jenny, "We just came to check up on you. You're face was all over the six o'clock news."

"Yeah, we saw how upset you looked," Misty said sweetly. I looked at her.

"Heyy Misty! Congratulate-congratulations on marrying, er-getting married." I said. Misty seemed a bit shocked.

"Uhh, how did you know about that?" She asked. Well, how rude, I thought.

"Brick told me." I said.

"Brick?" Jenny asked.

"Nooo, toopid. _Brock_. Thanks for _telling_ me Misty-" I said, and Misty was starting to grow a bit red.

"For your _information_ Mr. Know-it-all, I was _going_ to tell-" Misty was cut-off by Jenny.

"Misty, no, it's no use when he's like this. Why don't you just go back home, I'll take care of this whole mess." Jenny said, leaving me out of the conversation as if I were a child. Misty looked at her with a hesitant furrow of her brow, looked at me and for a split second, I swear I saw a look of sadness on her face. "I'll make sure he apologizes in the morning."

"Fart that..." I muttered under my breath. Misty looked at me angrily for a few more seconds before turning around in a huff. Soon, she was gone.

Jenny let herself right in, pushing past me. She looked around, inspecting the place.

"Nooo, just come _right_ in." I said.

"I did." She responded back. I walked up behind her and she turned around and gave me the angriest look. Followed by a quick slap to my face.

"Ow! What the fuck?!" I yelled, clutching my beat red cheek.

"What the _fuck_ is right!" She screamed, "Look at this place!" I grimaced. "Getting piss drunk RIGHT out of the hospital?! Making a mess of the room that Misty paid for, and then talking to her like that?! What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?!"

I said nothing. I merely clutched my cheek and walked to the now almost empty mini-bar to make myself a bloody mary. Jenny clutched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"You're going to have _such_ a hangover when we go back home tomorrow." She said.

"Thas' not my home..." I mumbled. "Thissss... is my home. Kanto...I've ignored it for six years..."

"That was your decision Ash, you can't drink yourself to death because of it."

"I can't do whateverrr...I want." I thought for a moment. "I mean I _can_."

"Are you listening to yourself? You sound like a fucking babbling idiot." Jenny chided.

"I ammmm one." I said sadly. Jenny sighed and sat down on the couch in the middle of the room.

"Ash, come sit down," She said quietly.

"No," I said, "Yer just gunna hit me 'gain."

"I won't, I promise."

I guzzled down the Bloody-Mary before stumbling carefully over to the couch. "What?" I asked.

"Ash..." Jenny sat there looking at me with sad eyes, "Are you...okay?" I was stunned by the openness of the question.

"I...am," I said, "Not." Jenny put a hand on my knee.

"Ash, I'm very worried about you." Jenny was being unusually gentle with me at the moment. "I fear that one day..."

"What? I'll kill myself?" I said, almost completely coherently. Jenny's eyes grew wide.

"Ash, no! God, no!" Her hand travelled from my knee and lovingly placed itself upon my cheek. "Is... that something you think about?"

"..."

"Ash, Christ," She said with worry, "I'm not just your boss, I'm your _friend_ too. You can talk to me."

"I don't..._think _about it _too_ much..." I said, looking down at my hands. I clenched my right hand into a fist as I spoke. "I don't at all really. It's just..."

"What?" She asked kindly.

"Sometimes...when I...when I think about my past, I..." I couldn't put the words together correctly enough with my drunken mind. "Could you make some coffee?" I asked.

"Of course." She said, getting up, "There's a machine right outside your door actually, I'll be right back."

Jenny got me a nice hot cup of coffee and sat back down next to me. I sipped it lightly, allowing the bitter taste to travel throughout my mouth, cleansing my tongue of the taste of booze.

"Ash, why does your past hurt you?" She asked.

"We all have _dreams_ Jenny...There's a reason I never come to Kanto." My mind was finally starting to un-cloud. "My dreams were buried here, in Pallet more specifically. I don't like seeing them spring up again."

"You've told me about the Pokemon Tournaments. How you didn't win them." She placed a hand back on my knee. She was being very handy tonight it seemed.

"There's that...yeah." I sipped my coffee a bit more, the warmth filling my belly, "There's other things too. Missed chances...friendships that were once important, turned into acquaintances. Too much...change. Change is a good word."

"Things change Ash. People grow up." Jenny started to rub my knee back and forth a bit, "You made some choices, and you may regret them, but...they're what built you into the person you are today."

"What kind of person... abandons everyone who ever cared about him..." I asked.

"...Sure, maybe you could have done some things differently. But you made your decisions. You can't run away from them, you have to _learn_ from them." Jenny said, still rubbing my leg. It was gentle and soft. I looked down at her hand and then back at her. I saw her face grow a slight shade of pink before she removed her hand.

"It's just so hard... living with the things I've decided to do. And now...I have blood on my hands." I said, starting to feel a hard pressure growing in my chest. Guilt, it could be.

"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.

"On the train...I..." I paused for a minute. "I killed a little...I killed a Jigglypuff."

"What?" Jenny asked with shock.

"It had some kind of _serum_ injected into it's body...it attacked me and I...I grabbed it...and I...I pushed it down to the floor...and I held it there and..." I was gesturing with my hands all the movements I described, "I raised my fist up...and brought it down on it's face. And then I did it again and again until I felt it's little bones crack and felt its organs on my fingers and...I.. Oh God..." I jumped up from the couch and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door hastily behind me. I stuck my head in the toilet, and made it just in time to empty my stomach's contents.

"Ash! Are you okay?" Jenny asked. I puked again, instead of responding with an answer, though I'm sure that was a good enough one for her. "Ash..."

The next thing I knew, I was lying in my bed. I opened my eyes, and I saw Jenny sitting in a chair across the room. My head was pounding, but other than that, I woke up sober.

"Ughhhh... shit," I groaned. I looked at the clock. Midnight. Jenny's eyes fluttered open.

"Oh, you're awake. I kind of hoped you would sleep until morning."

"I wish I did too, maybe sleep off this headache."

"How do you feel?" Jenny stood up from her chair, "Maybe you should go back to sleep."

"Were you...watching me sleep?" I asked. Jenny blushed.

"I'm the one who carried you to the bed, you idiot. I had to stay and make sure you didn't choke on your own vomit." Jenny grew a little flustered and this time I was the one who blushed.

"Oh no...how bad was I?" I asked.

"Bad." She said. "In fact, you owe Misty an apology." I slapped my face.

"I'm not even gonna ask. I'll make the call in the morning." I slumped back down onto my pillow, but then I noticed something. I was in my pajamas. "Jenny..."

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Did you _dress_ me?" My face grew red again, along with hers.

"N-no! You were already in your pajamas." She denied.

"No, I wasn't." I said bluntly.

"Pikachu did it." She said.

"That's just ridiculous." I grew a bit uncomfortable. "If you wanted to see me naked, I mean..."

"I'm going to go sleep on the couch. Go back to sleep, Ash." Jenny bolted out of the room, closing the door behind her. I lied back and looked up once again at this unfamiliar ceiling.

What a week.

The next morning, Jenny and I both caught the ferry back to Johto. I had apologized to Misty whom saw us off, along with Brock.

"I understand," She said, "You weren't yourself... and I should have told you about Neil."

I almost asked her to call it off right there. To dump this loser and marry me. But I made a decision. It was time I started acting like an adult and lived with it. She hugged me goodbye, so that was kind of nice.

Brock told me, before I left, that he'd fly on down to Johto someday soon in his private jet. I laughed, saying even if he was rich and successful, there's no way he had a fucking _jet_. He grinned at me, saying "you'll see". Indeed I would.

That night, I found myself back in my usual apartment in downtown Goldenrod. I held a glass of ginger ale in my hand. Pikachu sat in my lap as I sat on my couch. I started work again tomorrow, but until then, I decided I was going to take it easy.

The ginger ale tasted like shit.

But at least I wasn't on the floor.

**END OF BOOK ONE.**

_(MatchesMassa: Woo! Finally finished! It was a labor of love and time, but I finally managed to finish. It's extra nice because this is actually the first story I ever finished, multi chaptered at least. I do plan on writing a sequel, and I have a few ideas already. I want to thank all my viewers, reviewers, followers and anyone else for their continued support. You guys have no idea what it means to me. I am going to conclude with this: Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone hurts inside from something. Don't let these things kill you, because everyone is special and everyone has something in them that makes them valuable to someone. I guess that's the real message of my story. Hopefully, I got through to someone. Sorry for sounding pretentious, but that was my goal. Thanks again!_

_-AM_


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